From jleonard518 at yahoo.com  Fri Nov  2 16:27:53 2007
From: jleonard518 at yahoo.com (Jim Leonard)
Date: Fri Nov  2 16:19:00 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Beat the Hawkeyes
Message-ID: <29074.19768.qm@web36813.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

Fellow Wildcat Faithful,

I am expecting our first complete game tomorrow. We've seen the Cats play a solid 30 minutes here and a solid 45 minutes there. And, we've seen them play plenty of ugly minutes and lucky minutes. Now, they have a 2-game home stand with a very simple equation, win them both and you go to a bowl. Fitz knows it, the players know it, and the fans know it.             

Northwestern:    31
Iowa:                17

Expect Victory,
Jim

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From MHRJGScott at aol.com  Fri Nov  2 19:52:23 2007
From: MHRJGScott at aol.com (MHRJGScott@aol.com)
Date: Fri Nov  2 19:47:27 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Beat the Hawkeyes
Message-ID: <bcd.18967c2e.345d2047@aol.com>

I sure hope so, the years have softened my hate for Iowa, but I still  love 
to beat them (due to the fact that their pathetic corn fed fans are  morons), 
and if we can run up the score, so much the  better.



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From WildElk2 at aol.com  Fri Nov  2 22:19:51 2007
From: WildElk2 at aol.com (WildElk2@aol.com)
Date: Fri Nov  2 22:12:01 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Beat the Hawkeyes
Message-ID: <c94.1b91caa0.345d42d7@aol.com>

This is a tough game to call.  Phil Steele's Power Sweep  magazine doesn't 
give much insight, calling for NU to win 21-20.  The line  favors NU, who are 
giving 1 point.
   On one hand,  Iowa is lousy on the road, yet will have  1/2 the stadium 
rooting for them tomorrow.  On one hand, Bacher has been  "iffy" the past two 
weeks, yet Sutton should be ready to crank it up for the  entire game.
   We have Iowa playing well in 2 out of it's last 3 games, yet  getting 
clobbered by a Purdue team that we had on the ropes.  
  One thing that stuck out in my mind is that Iowa has struggled on  offense 
due to new personal and injuries.  NU, on the other hand, has had  very few 
injury issues (save Sutton), and have gotten healthier as the season  has 
progressed.  For a change, I think our depth will wear Iowa out.   As much as Iowa's 
offense will like NU's defense (as reported in the Sun-Times  this week) , I 
think our defense will "like the change."
I agree with Poster Jim L. that we've yet to play a complete game.   This is 
a .500 bunch we're playing tomorrow.  Not Purdue or Michigan, in  which we in 
position to win both games. 
  In the lynch-pin game of the season, I pick NU to win by a 32-27  score.  
It will be interesting, and how we'll arrive at 32 I'm not sure:),  but I think 
we'll be in the low 30's and root-canal Iowa in the high 20's.
 
                 GO CATS!!!         Eric



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From WildElk2 at aol.com  Fri Nov  2 23:02:04 2007
From: WildElk2 at aol.com (WildElk2@aol.com)
Date: Fri Nov  2 22:57:06 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Upset Special
Message-ID: <c23.26ea53ab.345d4cbc@aol.com>

Purdue beats PSU in Happy Valley 28-17.  PSU will rebound  against Temple and 
Mich. St., than Joe will get them ready in a mid-level  bowl.  
 
         GO Cats,     Eric



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From dpenderg at aol.com  Sat Nov  3 06:38:41 2007
From: dpenderg at aol.com (dpenderg@aol.com)
Date: Sat Nov  3 06:33:34 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Beat the Hawkeyes
In-Reply-To: <29074.19768.qm@web36813.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
References: <29074.19768.qm@web36813.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <8C9EC2537AD89EA-618-3681@webmail-de16.sysops.aol.com>

I have no expectations at all about this game, especially after the last two disappointing weeks. I pick up from some Hawk fans the spin that their defense is absolutely terrible this year (against Illinois??), which might suggest that Bacher and Sutton will have great days.? Maybe.? But our defense also has been inconsistent at best and the Iowa?QB and receivers may be eager to go after the dubious NU secondary/pass rush.? This is a chance on national television to restore some (recruiting-friendly) credibility to the Northwestern football program.? I hope the Cat coaches and players are up to the challenge.


-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Leonard <jleonard518@yahoo.com>
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Sent: Fri, 2 Nov 2007 4:27 pm
Subject: [NU Sports] Beat the Hawkeyes



Fellow Wildcat Faithful,

I am expecting our first complete game tomorrow. We've seen the Cats play a 
solid 30 minutes here and a solid 45 minutes there. And, we've seen them play 
plenty of ugly minutes and lucky minutes. Now, they have a 2-game home stand 
with a very simple equation, win them both and you go to a bowl. Fitz knows it, 
the players know it, and the fans know it.             

Northwestern:    31
Iowa:                17

Expect Victory,
Jim

__________________________________________________
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From hakirsch at aol.com  Sat Nov  3 12:09:40 2007
From: hakirsch at aol.com (hakirsch@aol.com)
Date: Sat Nov  3 12:01:34 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Upset Special
Message-ID: <957489219-1194109769-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-1444477799-@bxe037.bisx.prod.on.blackberry>

The announcers of the osu wisky game indicated that osu leads again with the number of. academic all big ten.  Does anyone know if we are close

Harry
------Original Message------
From: WildElk2@aol.com
Sender: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Sent: Nov 2, 2007 9:02 PM
Subject: [NU Sports] Upset Special

Purdue beats PSU in Happy Valley 28-17.  PSU will rebound  against Temple and 
Mich. St., than Joe will get them ready in a mid-level  bowl.  
 
         GO Cats,     Eric



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Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

From MHRJGScott at aol.com  Sat Nov  3 12:41:48 2007
From: MHRJGScott at aol.com (MHRJGScott@aol.com)
Date: Sat Nov  3 12:36:44 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Upset Special
Message-ID: <ccc.20acc84c.345e0cdc@aol.com>

we are last which surprises me 
 
 
School-by-School Breakdown     School Honorees Spring Sports  Illinois 55 8  
Indiana 84 10  Iowa 57 9  Michigan 99 11  Michigan State 81 10  Minnesota 113 
10  Northwestern 40 8  Ohio State 147 20  Penn State 119 13  Purdue 59 8  
Wisconsin 91 12



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From tbng at comcast.net  Sat Nov  3 14:39:09 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Sat Nov  3 14:37:26 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] We didn't want it
Message-ID: <000c01c81e51$35a020d0$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>

Iowa said to NU, "Please take this game.  We don't want it."  NU replied, "We want it less."

Some dreadful quarterback play today, C. J.

Sherrick, I got some New Jersey swamp land to sell you because I know you'll bite on it.

Tyrell, you don't have to quit running after one quarter, and by the way, catch the ball.

OL, it's called pass-blocking.  Do some of it.

Place-kicking remains a question mark, and kickoffs are downright awful.

Did the DL plan better today?  No, the Iowa OL is just that bad.

In some ways this is worse than getting stomped by OSU.

60 minutes?  Nah, we played 15.
From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Sat Nov  3 14:54:42 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Sat Nov  3 14:45:48 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I just dunno what to say ...
Message-ID: <154530.25249.qm@web52911.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

... what the &*!*@!# happened?

This is a real tough one to swallow because we came
out looking so good and at halftime, despite the
score, we clearly appeared to be the better team.

But we just couldn't get that third score to go up
21-0 or even 17-0.

Yeah, McManis got schooled on why you don't get too
emotional, trash talk and then bite on every fake they
throw at you, but the defense was OK for what you'd
expect. And they got us a fumble up 17-14 and we
couldn't seal the deal.

I just want to know why our offense doesn't have a
killer instinct. We go into a shell when we get a
lead. And even worse, we forget about the running
game. Does anyone have the numbers on how many rushing
attempts we had vs. Purdue and Iowa in the second
half? Seems like forever since Sutton touched it
except on that screen interception he should have had.
Bogus offensive interference call to take away our one
1st and goal, but otherwise we had no life.

Ugh - just disgusting. This loss just plain old sucks
and probably takes away any bowl hopes unless we
really come out on fire in the last two. Yuck. We
couldn't do anything against OSU and we absolutely
should have beaten Duke ... but these three fourth
quarter folds are what are defining our season right
now and we need to figure out why our offense can't
seal the deal.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!

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From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Sat Nov  3 15:26:31 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Sat Nov  3 15:17:44 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Because we could all use a laugh today ...
Message-ID: <768039.62954.qm@web52908.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

... I was flipping through the channels and came
across the Irish scoring to take the lead at the half
on Navy. On the bottom of the screen, NBC's graphics
department proudly displayed:

21 points: Most points scored this season by ND

All I can say for the second half: GO NAVY!!!

As for the Big Ten bowl picture right now, it's
becoming a bit more clear ...

Obviously our only hope at the two BCS slots is for
Michigan to win out and for OSU to get an at-large
bid.

If that doesn't happen, Iowa probably is the odd team
out unless the Hoosiers collapse the next two weeks.
Northwestern and Michigan State don't look to have a
good chance now unless they have fantastic finishes to
their seasons.

Gonna be real interesting to see what happens after
the first two bids go to the Buckeyes and Wolverines. 

At the end of today, Wisky, PSU, Purdue and Illinois
should all be 7-3. The Boilers and Nits should each
win their final two and the Badgers and Illini
probably split their remaining games. I think Purdue
probably drops to the lowest spot (little respect as
they didn't play UW or Illinois and lost to PSU ...
plus fewest fans) and the Illini probably fare well
(2-0 vs. PSU and UW and the newness factor) - though
PSU and UW have the fans and name recognition.
Repetition could be the deciding factor as UW was in
the Citrus last year and PSU in Tampa. So either way
it shakes out, the Illini are probably in Florida on
New Year's Day unless they finish with two losses.

Then you have the final spots. Indiana and Iowa
probably finish 7-5 each unless we rise up and beat
IU. The Hoosiers beat the Hawks and are the better
story, so Iowa's really hoping the Wolverines get in
the BCS or that NU beats IU so the folks in Detroit
have to take a 7-5 Iowa team over 6-6 Indiana. MSU and
NU are longshots at this point. 

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!

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From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Sat Nov  3 23:44:11 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Sat Nov  3 23:35:16 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Debunking the SEC mystique ...
Message-ID: <815654.93598.qm@web52901.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

Aside from the crappy start in Evanston, an
interesting day in the college football world as
usual. GO NAVY!!!:) And with the cinderella shoe
falling off of BC and with ASU losing a tough game in
Autzen, the debate's only going to grow the next
couple weeks of Oregon, LSU and Oklahoma. And if OSU
falls in Ann Arbor, it could get real ugly.

But what might be interesting is that this SEC
mystique may finally be taking a hit this year with
all the parity (and lack of defenses) in the league.
No one doubts that the SEC has most of the finest
athletes in the country and there's some fine
football. But SEC fans were all too happy to jump on
last year's B(C)S title game (nevermind what happened
in Orlando and Tampa) and declare the Big Ten dead
with their conference supreme.

The media jumped aboard after Michigan's loss to
Appalachain State at the start of the year and
suddenly the Big Ten was behind the Big East, ACC and
Big XII. Pollsters piled on, with 3-loss SEC teams
still in the BCS hunt, but a 3-loss Big Ten team like
Penn State is obviously nobody ... nevermind that they
lost to #1, their usual menace Michigan and Illinois.
And nevermind that Illinois outplayed what has proven
to be a strong Mizzou team and only lost because they
couldn't hang on to the ball. Parity shows the SEC's
strength and the Big Ten's weakness.

But suddenly all the 41-38 and 44-41 shootouts aren't
being looked at so fondly anymore and people are
starting to see this year's SEC not as a dominant
league but as it is - an enjoyable coalition of
athletic teams, fun offense and poor defenses that are
fairly evenly matched. Exciting? Yes. Athletic?
Without question. Dominant? Hardly. Now if only the
polls would catch up and give Big Ten teams with 2-3
losses as much reverence as they do SEC teams.

Sure, SEC teams have wins over top 25 teams -- each
other -- but aside from LSU beating VaTech, the league
hasn't fared too well outside league play. East
division leader Tennessee got waxed by Cal. Auburn
lost at home to South Florida. Alabama lost to FSU.
Georgia squeaked by Troy. Kentucky lost a home to a
team West Virginia had blown out the week before.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying the SEC isn't the
top league. I've always said they were the best league
at the top and the Big Ten was the deepest and either
one has great fans and no gimmes from week to week. 

I'm just saying that the folks down south did a lot of
Big Ten bashing and chest thumping early in the season
but that I'm not sure that their 1-loss team (LSU)
deserves to be in the title game over a 1-loss Pac Ten
champ in Oregon or a 1-loss Big XII champ (the winner
of what should be a wild final race between KU, OU and
Mizzou).

And I'm saying that there's no reason a 7-3 PSU,
Illini or Badger team shouldn't be ranked right there
with 7-3 SEC teams like Tennessee, Kentucky or Auburn.
Losing to Mississippi State at home isn't enough to
drop out but losing at Illinois or Michigan is?

And while we're on the old supremacy talk, let's not
forget that all these bowls are played basically in
SEC back yards. So yeah, it's kinda tough to come down
to those humidity boxes every winter and look as
dominant as the home team ... one nice thing about the
ACC and Big East is that these Florida teams have to
come up north every once and awhile to face the
elements. FSU survived this year but USF didn't fare
so well. Too bad the SEC schools never try it.:)

OK. End of rant. Just had to get that out.:) Maybe
it's frustration with NU's loss ... or just tired of
hearing Musburger and his likes ask if OSU really
deserves to be #1 because they play in the Big Ten. It
may not seem like it, but it does impact NU and had we
not gone into a shell after the first quarter today,
we'd really be hoping for that Big Ten respect to kick
in for that extra bowl slot to open up.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!

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From mlinhardt at netzero.net  Sun Nov  4 10:54:40 2007
From: mlinhardt at netzero.net (mlinhardt@netzero.net)
Date: Sun Nov  4 10:48:37 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Which team are we?
Message-ID: <20071104.105440.8636.0@webmail15.dca.untd.com>

In regards to offense are we:
The team that scored again and again vs. MSU and put together 2 nice drives to start the game vs. Iowa or are we the team which can't score or even move the ball in the 4th quarter in any of our 4 losses.

In regards to CJ is he:
The one who picks apart a defense distributing the ball equally and effectively to whomever is open or the quarterback that in the 4th quarter can't complete simple passes to people in purple.

In regards to defense are we:
The team that shut down or controlled Michigan, Purdue, and Iowa for 2-3 quarters or are we the very easy to exploit with dink passes or if we are concentrating on the run a team that is easy to get behind for the long pass.

I like our team a lot as I think it has great upside.  I just wish we were more consistent.

A thought on Tyrell.  It seems that Tyrell is a distraction to McGee.  With him in it almost seems like McGee redesigns the offense to feature him.  In the MSU and Minny game we flowed to the working play.  Vs. Purdue and Iowa I think we forced too many runs and screens that just didn't work so he could touch the ball.  He is definitely a very good player, but it seems like he is a bit out of sync.
_____________________________________________________________
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From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Sun Nov  4 11:22:00 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Sun Nov  4 11:13:11 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Which team are we?
In-Reply-To: <20071104.105440.8636.0@webmail15.dca.untd.com>
References: <20071104.105440.8636.0@webmail15.dca.untd.com>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711040922k2d30200ew946e20cfe7182aa9@mail.gmail.com>

Regarding Sutton, I don't think he is "out of sync" at all.  In the last 2
games (the only games in which he has touched the ball following his
injury), he has rushed 35 times for 188 yards (5.4 yds/carry) with 1 TD.
During the 4th quarter of both of those games he has been handed the ball
only 2 times and rushed for 1 yard.  Meanwhile, CJ has been sacked 6 times
during the 4th quarter of the past 2 games and gone 5-15 for 48 yds and 3
INTs - a lot of which can be attributed to dropped balls (at least 2 at
Purdue) and a lot of pressure (especially against Iowa).

In any case, NU has been able to get down the field - they ended 11 drives
in Iowa territory on Saturday, but scored only 3 times.  The fact is that
the offense has not been able to finish off drives (especially late in the
game) nor has the team been able to finish games.

In my opinion, the defense did almost exactly what they needed to do - stop
the run, holding Iowa's 2 RBs to a combined 89 yards, while racking up 6
sacks and a fumble recovery on the day.  Sure the pass defense was lacking,
but given Iowa's poor passing game for most of the year it was the best
strategy to contain the run and dare them to throw (Christiansen was less
than 52% on passing coming into the day).  In any case they put NU in a
position to win and the offense failed to finish it off.

The main 2 issues I see with the offense are:
1. Offensive line breakdowns leading to tons of pressure on CJ late.  This
is the one thing that has led to NU's downfall this year - the OL breaks
down, the pressure gets to CJ, and he's sacked or is forced into making bad
throws (incompletions or interceptions).  This is exactly what has happened
against Michigan, Purdue, and Iowa late in the game.
2. Offensive play calling mix.  Sure, you have to pass when you're behind
and trying to make up ground quickly.  Sure, NU's offense this year is
predicated on the pass.  But, things still have to get mixed up.  Perfect
example: the flea flicker that ended in an interception.  Iowa's defense
knew NU was going to try to pass, and they forced CJ to throw it into
coverage because nobody was open.  Sutton had room to run on the play.

The 'Cats, particularly the offense, need to learn how to finish a game -
sure they won 2 straight OT games earlier in the year plus a last minute
comeback, but in 3 of NU's games the 'Cats had the lead in the 4th with the
football, and in the Duke loss NU had it inside the 15 twice with a chance
to pull ahead.

Jonathan

On 11/4/07, mlinhardt@netzero.net <mlinhardt@netzero.net> wrote:
>
> In regards to offense are we:
> The team that scored again and again vs. MSU and put together 2 nice
> drives to start the game vs. Iowa or are we the team which can't score or
> even move the ball in the 4th quarter in any of our 4 losses.
>
> In regards to CJ is he:
> The one who picks apart a defense distributing the ball equally and
> effectively to whomever is open or the quarterback that in the 4th quarter
> can't complete simple passes to people in purple.
>
> In regards to defense are we:
> The team that shut down or controlled Michigan, Purdue, and Iowa for 2-3
> quarters or are we the very easy to exploit with dink passes or if we are
> concentrating on the run a team that is easy to get behind for the long
> pass.
>
> I like our team a lot as I think it has great upside.  I just wish we were
> more consistent.
>
> A thought on Tyrell.  It seems that Tyrell is a distraction to
> McGee.  With him in it almost seems like McGee redesigns the offense to
> feature him.  In the MSU and Minny game we flowed to the working play.  Vs.
> Purdue and Iowa I think we forced too many runs and screens that just didn't
> work so he could touch the ball.  He is definitely a very good player, but
> it seems like he is a bit out of sync.
> _____________________________________________________________
> Get free info on prevention and treatment options for your joint health.
> Click now!
>
> http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2211/fc/Ioyw6ijnarR10KLYyCmccuFQvarN0MDxDeS8QTIvn6srst8wQ1vkw3/
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From johnadeg at comcast.net  Sun Nov  4 12:15:32 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Sun Nov  4 12:07:09 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Which team are we?
Message-ID: <110420071815.20654.472E0C4400032515000050AE2216525856090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

Fitzgerald has to worry that McGee might go somewhere else.  He has done a very good job with the offense in my opinion.


John DeGroat 
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "mlinhardt@netzero.net" <mlinhardt@netzero.net>
> In regards to offense are we:
> The team that scored again and again vs. MSU and put together 2 nice drives to 
> start the game vs. Iowa or are we the team which can't score or even move the 
> ball in the 4th quarter in any of our 4 losses.
> 
> In regards to CJ is he:
> The one who picks apart a defense distributing the ball equally and effectively 
> to whomever is open or the quarterback that in the 4th quarter can't complete 
> simple passes to people in purple.
> 
> In regards to defense are we:
> The team that shut down or controlled Michigan, Purdue, and Iowa for 2-3 
> quarters or are we the very easy to exploit with dink passes or if we are 
> concentrating on the run a team that is easy to get behind for the long pass.
> 
> I like our team a lot as I think it has great upside.  I just wish we were more 
> consistent.
> 
> A thought on Tyrell.  It seems that Tyrell is a distraction to McGee.  With him 
> in it almost seems like McGee redesigns the offense to feature him.  In the MSU 
> and Minny game we flowed to the working play.  Vs. Purdue and Iowa I think we 
> forced too many runs and screens that just didn't work so he could touch the 
> ball.  He is definitely a very good player, but it seems like he is a bit out of 
> sync.
> _____________________________________________________________
> Get free info on prevention and treatment options for your joint health. Click 
> now!
> http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2211/fc/Ioyw6ijnarR10KLYyCmccuFQvarN0MDxD
> eS8QTIvn6srst8wQ1vkw3/
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From CHerron604 at aol.com  Sun Nov  4 12:41:02 2007
From: CHerron604 at aol.com (CHerron604@aol.com)
Date: Sun Nov  4 12:33:12 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Which team are we?
Message-ID: <c0c.22c30cba.345f6c3e@aol.com>

If McGee or Colby want to go anywhere - PLEASE LET THEM. Then, do what any  
other BCS Conference program would do and hire coordinators with demonstrated  
skills in those positions, NOT a QB coach from pathetic UNLV and a bad DC from 
 pathetic Kent.  And then wonder why they look clueless out there.
 
Chuck Herron   Tech '85



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From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Sun Nov  4 14:11:25 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Sun Nov  4 14:02:27 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Which team are we?
In-Reply-To: <fcb3ee270711040922k2d30200ew946e20cfe7182aa9@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <840391.9982.qm@web52904.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

> Regarding Sutton, I don't think he is "out of sync"
> at all.  In the last 2
> games (the only games in which he has touched the
> ball following his
> injury), he has rushed 35 times for 188 yards (5.4
> yds/carry) with 1 TD.
> During the 4th quarter of both of those games he has
> been handed the ball
> only 2 times and rushed for 1 yard.  Meanwhile, CJ
> has been sacked 6 times

Thank you Jonathan - I knew someone would have the
stats I was looking for and it sure felt as if Sutton
was forgotten both of the past two games in the 4th.
And yeah, it's hard to run when down big, but we were
up 17-14 in each of those games heading into the
fourth.

I do think Maureen's right, though -- not that Sutton
is out of sync, but that he is a distraction for
McGee. McGee had figured out how to run the offense
pretty well with Conteh and Roberson and doesn't seem
to know how to utilize Sutton's many talents yet. And
that's especially evident in the fourth quarter vs.
Purdue and Iowa where we head into the quarter with
the lead and give our all-conference running back the
ball TWO times.

> In any case, NU has been able to get down the field
> - they ended 11 drives
> in Iowa territory on Saturday, but scored only 3
> times.  The fact is that
> the offense has not been able to finish off drives
> (especially late in the
> game) nor has the team been able to finish games.

Exactly. It's time to stop saying "finish" and start
DOING it. But it seems to start before the 4th quarter
for the offense. Our play calling is noticably
different once we get the lead. The sense of immediacy
is gone and so is our balanced attack with the running
game mixed in to keep the D off balance.

I will say that Iowa's defense defended our screens
better than anyone else this year and really made it
tough for our back to release. Still, McGee needed to
adjust to that and call some other plays. Some of
those later sacks were on screens that didn't
materialize.

> In my opinion, the defense did almost exactly what
> they needed to do - stop

Yup - aside from McManis. I love the kid and he has a
lot of talent, but you could see him getting into a
trash talking contest in the first quarter and he got
taken to school on those pump fakes. Iowa really did a
nice coaching job there of using his aggressiveness
and emotion against him, starting with that roughing
the kicker call and ending with those two stop-and-go
routes.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!

__________________________________________________
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Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
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From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Sun Nov  4 15:38:38 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Sun Nov  4 15:29:47 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Which team are we?
In-Reply-To: <c0c.22c30cba.345f6c3e@aol.com>
References: <c0c.22c30cba.345f6c3e@aol.com>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711041338h5a2bfe20lf3f56441f4aaa782@mail.gmail.com>

I think McGee has come a long way from the first 6 games of last season, but
he still has a lot to prove - he has to show that he can get the offense to
"finish" both drives and games (as discussed earlier), but given the fact
that he's only been an OC for about 1.5 seasons without much assistance on
the offense in terms of coaching (e.g. no Coach Walker), I would say he's an
up and comer.  I don't think he's about to be stolen away - but if he keeps
progressing the way he has been then who knows.

Meanwhile, I completely agree on Colby - over time he's gotten worse, if
anything, although given the fact that he started in 2002 I don't know if it
could get any worse.  In any case the D stopped the Iowa running game and
dared them to throw the ball, but then they couldn't cover the receivers at
all.

In any case I think we'll learn a lot this offseason - I think just about
every NU fan has made up their mind that now (well, after the season) is the
time for the coaching staff to be shaken up and for Fitz to put "his guys"
in place.

Jonathan

On 11/4/07, CHerron604@aol.com <CHerron604@aol.com> wrote:
>
> If McGee or Colby want to go anywhere - PLEASE LET THEM. Then, do what any
> other BCS Conference program would do and hire coordinators with
> demonstrated
> skills in those positions, NOT a QB coach from pathetic UNLV and a bad DC
> from
> pathetic Kent.  And then wonder why they look clueless out there.
>
> Chuck Herron   Tech '85
>
>
>
> ************************************** See what's new at
> http://www.aol.com
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From MHRJGScott at aol.com  Sun Nov  4 17:06:01 2007
From: MHRJGScott at aol.com (MHRJGScott@aol.com)
Date: Sun Nov  4 17:00:46 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] duece coverage
Message-ID: <c7a.1fbcbb7e.345faa59@aol.com>

After a good bit of JW black I am somewhat over the pathetic breakdown from  
the missed FG (bad coaching decision) to the last Interception.   But  instead 
of the usual complaints about the announcers I think the game was a  million 
dollar commercial for NU, the beauty of the campus in late fall, the  beach, 
near the big city, the academics, the theater program and radio station,  the 
spirit of the team after RWs death, etc. Just wish we had  won



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Tue Nov  6 21:32:30 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Tue Nov  6 21:23:22 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] PIGSKIN PICKS - Week 11
Message-ID: <344454.60839.qm@web52912.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

Standings out soon, but first here's the week 11
lineup. It's home finale time in Evanston and sadly
it's not as big of a game as it could have been thanks
to last week's collapse. Still, always good to say
thank you to the seniors on the team, band and cheer
squads for making Saturdays so special. Hope we can
carry that emotion in for an upset and at least throw
our hat into the bowl mix!

As for the rest of the lineup, big game in Columbus
again and a dandy in Madison too, plus some more wild
SEC shootouts are on deck. Picks due by kickoff
Saturday.

PIGSKIN PICKS - WEEK 11
#######################
Name: 

BIG TEN
=======
Game  1: Illinois @ Ohio State
Winner : 

Game  2: Minnesota @ Iowa
Winner : 

Game  3: Michigan @ Wisconsin
Winner : 

Game  4: Michigan State @ Purdue
Winner : 

Game  5: Penn State @ Temple
Winner : 

NATIONAL
========
Game  6: Florida @ South Carolina
Winner : 

Game  7: Auburn @ Georgia
Winner : 

Game  8: Florida State @ Virginia Tech
Winner : 

Game  9: Southern Cal @ California
Winner : 

Game 10: Kansas @ Oklahoma State
Winner : 

MY PICKS
========
* OHIO STATE 38, Illinois 21 - Tough to figure out why
the Illini are getting no respect nationally - they
outplayed Mizzou (just turned it over), were close to
Michigan and beat Wisky and PSU ... yet a dozen 6-3
SEC teams seem to be ahead of them. They'll play the
Bucks close for a half like Wisky did, but get bowled
over in the second half in the Shoe by a pretty darn
good team.

* IOWA 30, Minnesota 13 - Sure, the schedule was kind
to the Hawks this year, but you still gotta give
Ferentz his due for keeping them in it after a
truckload of injuries. Win the last two at home and
it's a 7-5 season and a bowl game.

* MICHIGAN 21, Wisconsin 18 - Could be the game of the
day here as the Badgers are a better team in Camp
Randall and will match the spunky Wolverines blow for
blow. But Big Blue edges ahead late to set up the big
showdown next week in Ann Arbor.

* PURDUE 49, Michigan State 17 - The annoying train
whistle and world's largest drum finally put Sparty
out of his misery after another second-half collapse.

* PENN STATE 56, Temple 10 - The Linc will be filled
with Philly Lions fans (kind of an odd mix - they boo
you all game and then are cordial and offer you food
afterwards:) ) and PSU rolls. Never thought I'd say
this, but thank goodness for the BCS computers! While
the pollsters are still enamored with the SEC, the
computers rightfully have the Lions in the top 20.

* FLORIDA 42, South Carolina 31 - I'd love to see
Spurrier win here as the Gators are still getting more
love in the polls than a 3-loss team should have ...
but it's another defenseless SEC shootout and Tebow
excels in those.

* AUBURN 23, Georgia 20 - The Dawgs are looking good
and could give LSU a decent opponent for the title
game, but Auburn's a heck of a road team and the SEC
parity pileup continues with an upset in Athens.

* VIRGINIA TECH 16, Florida State 6 - Are the Noles
for real? No, but they dodge a bullet by playing a day
game in Hokieland. Ugly, but special teams wins it for
VT.

* USC 37, California 31 - Too bad these two teams were
looking forward to this game so much they never saw
the rest of the Pac Ten nipping at their heels. Still
should be a good game and SC still has BCS hopes if
they win out and beat ASU in Tempe on Thanksgiving.

* KANSAS 45, Oklahoma State 35 - Gotta say that I was
cheering for the Jayhawks last week every time they
scored sweet revenge on perennial bully Nebraska. They
are for real ... but if there's a trap game for them,
it's here while they're looking ahead to Mizzou.
Stillwater is tough, but thankfully for them, even
when the Cowpokes jump out to a big lead, they like to
give it back. Right Mack?

And off the board ...

* INDIANA 34, Northwestern 27 - I'd love to be wrong,
but it's tough to see the Cats winning this one. Now
that IU has the 6-win monkey off its back, the
pressure is gone and Hardy's a heck of a receiving
talent. Still, NU gives it a fight being senior day,
only to see the rally fall short.

Remember, picks in by kickoff Saturday.
GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
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From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Wed Nov  7 22:42:36 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Wed Nov  7 22:33:23 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] PIGSKIN PICKS - Standings
Message-ID: <907622.45013.qm@web52909.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

Good week for most of us in the picks, even though it
wasn't so good on the field. The Rutgers-UConn game
really determined the good from the great, and there
was one upset special that came through. I suppose
there's bound to be a down week in a wild year like
this. So without further delay, to the big board ...

UPSET SPECIALS
==============
Only one this week, and only one person picked it (a
true upset special!). Congrats to Sam Wolfson for
calling Florida State's win at Boston College.

UNANIMOUS PICKS
===============
None

And now to the big board ...

                  ----- RECORD ----  - UPSET -  TOTAL
RK  NAME          WK 10 OVERL  PCT.  WK10 OVRL  WEEKS
======================================================
 1) S. Truog       8-2  88-32  .733    0    1   10
 2) M. Zilka       ---  73-27  .730    0    3    8
 3) C. Herron      8-2  86-34  .717    0    1   10
 3) T. McAdams     9-1  86-34  .717    0    2   10
 3) K. Sevilla     9-1  86-34  .717    0    7   10
 3) E. Steffe      8-2  86-34  .717    0    2   10
 3) A. Wolfson     8-2  86-34  .717    0    5   10
 8) B. Taylor      9-1  67-28  .705    0    2    8
 9) B. Wilson      8-2  84-36  .700    0    5   10
 9) P. Wolfe       7-3  70-30  .700    0    6    8
11) J. Wall        7-3  73-32  .695    0    2    9
11) B. Winkler     7-3  83-37  .692    0    3   10
13) J. Bendat      ---  75-35  .682    0    4    9
14) P. Groves      7-3  80-40  .667    0    6   10
15) I. Embrekts    8-2  69-36  .657    0    0    9
16) M. Ament       9-1  62-33  .653    0    3    8
17) B. Waldele     8-2  68-37  .648    0    4    9
18) C. Bailey      8-2  76-44  .633    0    2   10
18) S. Wolfson     5-5  76-44  .633    1   11   10
20) J. Hodges      7-3  75-45  .625    0    2   10
21) J. Labbe       6-4  65-40  .619    0    2    9
22) R. Stahl       7-3  74-46  .617    0    5   10
23) A. McInturff   6-4  66-54  .550    0    7   10

-- NOT ELIGIBLE AT THIS TIME --
xx) C. Miller      ---  14- 1  .933    0    1    1
xx) J. Hawkins     ---  12- 3  .800    0    1    1
xx) M. Barnard     8-2  59-26  .694    0    2    7
xx) K. Maresco     ---  46-24  .657    0    0    5
xx) J. Leonard     ---  35-20  .636    0    3    5
xx) C. Rossi       9-1  50-30  .625    0    5    6
xx) M. Whelan      ---  23-17  .575    0    1    4
xx) Syd. Wolfson   ---  27-23  .540    0    5    4

Remember to get your picks in by kickoff Saturday.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com 

From nolan at romaine.tssi.com  Sat Nov 10 14:31:08 2007
From: nolan at romaine.tssi.com (Mike Nolan)
Date: Sat Nov 10 14:31:12 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] The Cardiac Cats win again
Message-ID: <200711102031.lAAKV8ME029312@romaine.tssi.com>

Sometimes it seems that breathing is not permitted during Northwestern games,
I was holding my breath through so many official reviews today I feel like 
I'm in training for the snorkel team.

So, we become the 8th bowl-eligible team in the conference, with a really
tough trip to the cornfields of Urbana next week.  

If Indiana and Northwestern both finish with 6-6 records, who goes bowling 
and who stays home?  I suspect Indiana wins that one on the basis of the 
better 'feel good' story this year.
--
Mike Nolan

From NEONRye at aol.com  Sat Nov 10 14:39:10 2007
From: NEONRye at aol.com (NEONRye@aol.com)
Date: Sat Nov 10 14:33:30 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] What A Day!
Message-ID: <c94.1c674250.346770ee@aol.com>

I'm in hog ('Cat") heaven.  First, my son David's HS Varsity Soccer  team 
wins its Regional Championship (and now goes on to NY State Championship  Final 
Four next weekend at Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, NY)--and David scores  the 
winning goal, no less, in a 2-1 triumph.  Then, I get home with 5  minutes to 
go and see NU beat the Hoosiers in last minute of game.  It  doesn't get any 
better than this.....
 
Paul Levinson



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From MHRJGScott at aol.com  Sat Nov 10 14:41:04 2007
From: MHRJGScott at aol.com (MHRJGScott@aol.com)
Date: Sat Nov 10 14:35:20 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] We win 31-28
Message-ID: <c42.1ea36d71.34677160@aol.com>

I felt we were going to blow this somehow, but Sutton played like a man  
possessed and CJ hung in despite a couple bad throws.  The announcing was  
horrible, can you really say "brain fart" on TV.



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From jason at jasonsinger.com  Sat Nov 10 15:01:31 2007
From: jason at jasonsinger.com (Jason Singer)
Date: Sat Nov 10 14:52:09 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] We win 31-28
In-Reply-To: <c42.1ea36d71.34677160@aol.com>
Message-ID: <C35B5C2B.F8D1%jason@jasonsinger.com>

Announcers were so bad I switched to wgn.com after one series, even though
the TV was delayed a second, which meant I heard the play before I saw it.
But after the analyst said, "...that's what they need to do to move the ball
down the field" THREE TIMES in the first drive, I'd had enough. Is it really
that hard to find announcers who understand the game and can do their
homework BEFORE the game starts?

Anyway, after making my yearly pilgrimage to last week's disappointing loss,
this was a joy to watch!

Beat Illinois!!! Let's go bowling!!!

- jason singer  SP 86

On 11/10/07 12:41 PM, "MHRJGScott@aol.com" <MHRJGScott@aol.com> wrote:

> I felt we were going to blow this somehow, but Sutton played like a man
> possessed and CJ hung in despite a couple bad throws.  The announcing was
> horrible, can you really say "brain fart" on TV.
> 
> 
> 
> ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> 


From thehaze at earthlink.net  Sat Nov 10 15:02:03 2007
From: thehaze at earthlink.net (Jim Bendat)
Date: Sat Nov 10 14:52:30 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] What A Day!
In-Reply-To: <c94.1c674250.346770ee@aol.com>
References: <c94.1c674250.346770ee@aol.com>
Message-ID: <47361C4B.1060702@earthlink.net>

Congrats to David and Paul . . . and the Cats!  -- Jim


NEONRye@aol.com wrote:
> I'm in hog ('Cat") heaven.  First, my son David's HS Varsity Soccer  team 
> wins its Regional Championship (and now goes on to NY State Championship  Final 
> Four next weekend at Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, NY)--and David scores  the 
> winning goal, no less, in a 2-1 triumph.  Then, I get home with 5  minutes to 
> go and see NU beat the Hoosiers in last minute of game.  It  doesn't get any 
> better than this.....
>  
> Paul Levinson
>
>
>
> ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>
>
>   

From jason at jasonsinger.com  Sat Nov 10 16:46:27 2007
From: jason at jasonsinger.com (Jason Singer)
Date: Sat Nov 10 16:37:02 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <C35B74C3.F8D7%jason@jasonsinger.com>

This is incredible.

JS SP86


From Alan.Abrahamson at nbcsports.com  Sat Nov 10 16:59:31 2007
From: Alan.Abrahamson at nbcsports.com (Abrahamson, Alan (NBC Universal))
Date: Sat Nov 10 16:53:26 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <33C4F11DF8639640A51C79CB484166FF031D2648@RKFMLVEM02.e2k.ad.ge.com>

Let's say Illinois holds on. 
 Let's also say Wildcats rise up next week to beat Illini. 
 Some bowl officials somewhere would doubtlessly want the Cats. 
 Wouldn't they?!


-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com <nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com>
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com <nwu-sports@tssi.com>
Sent: Sat Nov 10 17:46:27 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...

This is incredible.

JS SP86


_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
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From Hakirsch at aol.com  Sat Nov 10 17:30:57 2007
From: Hakirsch at aol.com (Hakirsch@aol.com)
Date: Sat Nov 10 17:22:38 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <d07.1c8a89e5.34679931@aol.com>

So does the Illini upset help or hurt if we beat them ?

Harry


**************************************
 See what's new at 
http://www.aol.com
From neonrye at aol.com  Sat Nov 10 17:34:27 2007
From: neonrye at aol.com (neonrye@aol.com)
Date: Sat Nov 10 17:26:06 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <33C4F11DF8639640A51C79CB484166FF031D2648@RKFMLVEM02.e2k.ad.ge.com>
References: <33C4F11DF8639640A51C79CB484166FF031D2648@RKFMLVEM02.e2k.ad.ge.com>
Message-ID: <831005666-1194737672-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-745963967-@bxe016.bisx.prod.on.blackberry>

Good concept Alan.  It ain't gonna be easy!

Paul Levinson
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: "Abrahamson, Alan (NBC Universal)" <Alan.Abrahamson@nbcsports.com>

Date: Sat, 10 Nov 2007 17:59:31 
To:<jason@jasonsinger.com>, <nwu-sports@tssi.com>
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...


Let's say Illinois holds on. 
 Let's also say Wildcats rise up next week to beat Illini. 
 Some bowl officials somewhere would doubtlessly want the Cats. 
 Wouldn't they?!


-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com <nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com>
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com <nwu-sports@tssi.com>
Sent: Sat Nov 10 17:46:27 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...

This is incredible.

JS SP86


_______________________________________________
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nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

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nwu-sports@tssi.com
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From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Sat Nov 10 17:40:40 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Sat Nov 10 17:32:11 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <33C4F11DF8639640A51C79CB484166FF031D2648@RKFMLVEM02.e2k.ad.ge.com>
References: <33C4F11DF8639640A51C79CB484166FF031D2648@RKFMLVEM02.e2k.ad.ge.com>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711101540x1828bcb9x708284148fb1148@mail.gmail.com>

Yes, Illinois won - the biggest impact it will have on the 'Cats will be
next week's game.  NU must take advantage and jump on them early, hoping
that there will be a hangover.

In terms of bowls, NU MUST win next week to go to a bowl.  Iowa and Michigan
State also picked up their 6th wins today, which now leaves 10 bowl eligible
Big Ten teams.  The best NU can do is win next week and hope everything else
works out (e.g. other 6-5 teams lose) and that a spot somewhere is open.

Again, the bowl selection rules are:

1. Conference affiliated spots must pick teams from that conference with
winning records.
2. If conference slots are still available after picking conference teams
with a winning record, 6-6 teams may be selected to fill the slots.
3. At large bid spots (e.g. if another conference cannot fill its slots),
available teams with winning records may be selected.
4. If all teams with winning records have been selected and there are slots
still left, 6-6 teams may then be selected.

FYI, there are 7 bowl spots for Big Ten teams (the only feasible way to open
up an 8th spot by getting 2 BCS teams would be if Michigan beats OSU to win
the Big Ten BCS spot next week and OSU gets an at large bid, although riding
a 2 game losing streak at the end of the season wouldn't be favorable, and
they must remain in the top 14 in the BCS standings to do so).

Right now there are 6 Big Ten teams with 7 or more wins.  For NU to secure
the Big Ten's last slot they must:

- Beat Illinois.

3 of the 4 must take place:
- Purdue must beat Indiana.
- Penn State must beat Michigan State.
- Western Michigan must beat Iowa.
- Michigan must beat OSU AND OSU must remain in the top 14 of the BCS at the
end of the year AND get an at-large BCS bid.

But, of course, Northwestern must take care of business first.  The 'Cats
got a much-needed win today, and next week's game is still win-able if NU
can stop the Illinois rushing attack.

Jonathan


On Nov 10, 2007 4:59 PM, Abrahamson, Alan (NBC Universal) <
Alan.Abrahamson@nbcsports.com> wrote:

> Let's say Illinois holds on.
>  Let's also say Wildcats rise up next week to beat Illini.
>  Some bowl officials somewhere would doubtlessly want the Cats.
>  Wouldn't they?!
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com <nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com>
> To: nwu-sports@tssi.com <nwu-sports@tssi.com>
> Sent: Sat Nov 10 17:46:27 2007
> Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
>
> This is incredible.
>
> JS SP86
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>
> _______________________________________________
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-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From thehaze at earthlink.net  Sat Nov 10 18:25:03 2007
From: thehaze at earthlink.net (Jim Bendat)
Date: Sat Nov 10 18:15:33 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <fcb3ee270711101540x1828bcb9x708284148fb1148@mail.gmail.com>
References: <33C4F11DF8639640A51C79CB484166FF031D2648@RKFMLVEM02.e2k.ad.ge.com>
	<fcb3ee270711101540x1828bcb9x708284148fb1148@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <47364BDF.8080201@earthlink.net>

Yet, an extra bowl spot or two might open up.  For example, the Pac-10 
may not be able to place teams in all of its affiliated bowl games.  If 
that's the case, the individual bowl (Armed Forces Bowl in Ft. Worth, to 
name one) would then be free to pick a team from another conference.   
--  Jim

From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Sun Nov 11 00:40:23 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Sun Nov 11 00:30:55 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] What A Day!
In-Reply-To: <c94.1c674250.346770ee@aol.com>
Message-ID: <67688.85156.qm@web52901.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

> winning goal, no less, in a 2-1 triumph.  Then, I
> get home with 5  minutes to 
> go and see NU beat the Hoosiers in last minute of
> game.  It  doesn't get any 
> better than this.....
>  
... and then it does.

Notre Dame loses at home for a second straight week to
a service academy and falls to 1-9 on the year.:)

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!

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From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Sun Nov 11 01:19:08 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Sun Nov 11 01:09:41 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Bowl Projections (was: I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping
	away...)
In-Reply-To: <47364BDF.8080201@earthlink.net>
Message-ID: <739801.99160.qm@web52901.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

As fun as it may see to watch OSU lose another
late-season #1 ranking at home, yes, this did hurt the
Cats big-time.

And part of me was glad that at least the OSU loss
would give Oregon a chance to prove they're clearly
better than an LSU team living up on the SEC's past
reputation (51-31? Is there no defense left for the
SEC's defenses?) ... part of me sees a scenario
similar to five years ago happening again.

Back then, the BCS computers screwed the Pac 10 champ
(USC) and allowed the Big XII champ Sooners (coming
off a loss) to play LSU in a Tiger home game in the
Superdome. Now, swap Ducks for Trojans and history
could repeat itself as LSU will almost certainly be at
home in the title game and a big boost from the
computers for playing the KU-Mizzou winner in the
title game could jump Oklahoma ahead of the Ducks.:(

But back to the Big Ten ... it's pretty amazing, but
the Big Ten has TEN bowl-eligible teams now. In the
SEC they call that amazing strength, but I guess we'll
get dumped on for it as the media has yet to recognize
that Illinois, Wisconsin and Penn State are some
pretty solid teams. However, we only seven spots, as
the OSU loss all but guaranteed that there will be no
at-large BCS berth. Even more amazing is that the ones
who are "just in" at six wins easily could have seven
if IU and MSU didn't collapse in October and NU coulda
beat friggin' Duke.

We're pretty much the #10 choice any way you slice it
unless we can win next week and get to 7-5 and be
forced to be taken ahead of 6-6 teams like MSU and
Indiana (who have tough rivalry games as well next
week).

So, after yet another wild weekend, a new look at the
bowl projections ...

BCS TITLE GAME: Oregon vs. LSU - I'm hoping that LSU
slips up or that a so-so SEC title game foe hurts
their computer rankings, but they're in anyway, so I
hope that the Ducks at least get there to face 'em.
However, an Oklahoma-Oregon title game would be so
much better - great contest, all the spillover from
last year's controversial game in Eugene and no home
cooking for the SEC to give one side an edge.

ROSE BOWL: Ohio State vs. Arizona State - The Rose
will happily take the winner of the ASU-USC turkey day
game if the Ducks head to the title contest and while
I wouldn't count out Michigan in Lloyd's home finale,
the Bucks won't lose two in a row.

SUGAR BOWL: Florida vs. Hawaii - With LSU in the title
game, the folks in New Orleans take another SEC team
to fill seats against the Hawaii team they have to
take (too bad because I'd love to see a Zooker Bowl in
Orlando with the Gators and Illini!).

FIESTA BOWL: Oklahoma vs. West Virginia - Here's where
things get tricky. Usually the Mountaineers head to
Miami, but since Texas will likely be the other
at-large team, and we don't want Red River Rivalry II,
they go here and we get a heck of a matchup.

ORANGE BOWL: Clemson vs. Texas - With BC falling apart
and the Hokies still shaky, Clemson seizes the moment
to finish strong and take a ton of orange to the
Orange Bowl. The folks in Miami would love to have the
Gators, but they'll settle for more orange with Tejas.

CITRUS BOWL: Illinois vs. Georgia - The Illini are the
big story, have the Chicago market and really deserve
to be the #2 pick if they beat NU as they beat PSU and
Wisky and will have one more win than Big Blue. But
you could see PSU sneak in on rep and fan support.
Meanwhile, the Dogs settle for Orlando after the SEC
title game loss.

OUTBACK BOWL: Michigan vs. Kentucky - Tough call who
Tampa will take from the Big Ten or SEC here. Michigan
beat PSU, PSU beat Wisky, Wisky beat Michigan and all
have name and fan support ... Lloyd Carr's final game
may be the tipping point. As for their opponent, the
Vols were here last year and the Gamecocks and
Kentucky are fading ... Auburn or Alabama could go
here also.

CHAMPS BOWL: Penn State vs. Florida State - Wisky was
in Orlando last year, plus can you get a better
mid-level bowl story than JoePa against Bobby with the
two likely being withing a game on the all-time win
chart?

ALAMO BOWL: Wisconsin vs. Texas Tech - Could be the
"goodbye coach" bowl if Michigan plays Texas A&M ...
but we'll settle for a lot of red and a run vs. pass
showdown.

INSIGHT BOWL: Purdue vs. Colorado - The Buffs have
battled hard this year while the Boilers may be a tad
underappreciated and can light it up with anyone.

MOTOR CITY BOWL: Iowa vs. Central Michigan - After
beating Western Michigan next week, the Hawks will be
7-5 and will have to be chosen ahead of the 6-6
Spartans (much to Detroit's dismay) unless Sparty
shocks PSU.

As for the rest, Indiana is likely the first to get an
at-large bid because of the story (they're also the
most likely to upset their rival next weekend of the
6-6 teams). MSU comes after that and NU is last in the
pecking order.

Bottom line, I guess, is that the non conference games
count. We beat Duke (or hang on vs. any of the three
Big Ten games where we had late leads) and we're in
better shape. And if Michigan had done better against
AS or Oregon or the Illini not fumbled so often
against Mizzou, maybe we get an extra berth thanks to
two BCS at-large teams.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!

__________________________________________________
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From Hakirsch at aol.com  Sun Nov 11 09:47:23 2007
From: Hakirsch at aol.com (Hakirsch@aol.com)
Date: Sun Nov 11 09:39:21 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] (no subject)
Message-ID: <c5f.1d28637e.34687e0b@aol.com>

If anyone cares to switch subjects discussing the  IBM College Football top 
25 players of all time, these polls always bring arguments, particularly with 
the old timers vs the modern boys --but how is Jim Brown not in the top 10 ?  
how is Charles Woodsen head of him at #11

Woodsen won the Heisman Trophy in 1997 beating out Peyton Manning, pretty 
much on the basis of one very hyped game-;-He played both ways in the 
OSU/Michigan game catching  either a TD pass or  a very long reception that set up a 
TD--and may have made an interception in the game as well--Even OSU alum Eddie 
George voted for him over  Manning --(the local Tennessee fans were not happy )-

Who will be #1 ?  Is it going to be OJ ? --no, only 2 good years --Herschel ? 
Grange ? or Hourning ?--Hard to believe anyone else 

Harry



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 See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From AJWDBW at aol.com  Sun Nov 11 10:00:21 2007
From: AJWDBW at aol.com (AJWDBW@aol.com)
Date: Sun Nov 11 09:52:12 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] (no subject)
Message-ID: <cca.1f734fc6.34688115@aol.com>

 
In a message dated 11/11/2007 9:49:35 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
Hakirsch@aol.com writes:

Who will  be #1 ?  Is it going to be OJ ? --no, only 2 good years --Herschel 
?  
Grange ? or Hourning ?--Hard to believe anyone else  




I haven't been paying particular attention to this, but has Otto Graham  been 
selected?
Don Williams
C55



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From jmccull at insight.rr.com  Sun Nov 11 13:14:02 2007
From: jmccull at insight.rr.com (J.R. McCullough)
Date: Sun Nov 11 13:04:47 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] (no subject)
References: <c5f.1d28637e.34687e0b@aol.com>
Message-ID: <000b01c82497$05673290$6401a8c0@JROFFICEHP>

#1 has to be Archie Griffin. The only 2-time Heisman winner.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Hakirsch@aol.com>
To: <sjtruog@yahoo.com>; <NEONRye@aol.com>; <nwu-sports@romaine.tssi.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2007 10:47 AM
Subject: [NU Sports] (no subject)


> If anyone cares to switch subjects discussing the  IBM College Football 
> top
> 25 players of all time, these polls always bring arguments, particularly 
> with
> the old timers vs the modern boys --but how is Jim Brown not in the top 10 
> ?
> how is Charles Woodsen head of him at #11
>
> Woodsen won the Heisman Trophy in 1997 beating out Peyton Manning, pretty
> much on the basis of one very hyped game-;-He played both ways in the
> OSU/Michigan game catching  either a TD pass or  a very long reception 
> that set up a
> TD--and may have made an interception in the game as well--Even OSU alum 
> Eddie
> George voted for him over  Manning --(the local Tennessee fans were not 
> happy )-
>
> Who will be #1 ?  Is it going to be OJ ? --no, only 2 good 
> years --Herschel ?
> Grange ? or Hourning ?--Hard to believe anyone else
>
> Harry
>
>
>
> **************************************
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> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports 

From jleonard518 at yahoo.com  Sun Nov 11 14:13:33 2007
From: jleonard518 at yahoo.com (Jim Leonard)
Date: Sun Nov 11 14:04:02 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Sunday Thoughts
Message-ID: <164155.45306.qm@web36809.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

Fellow Wildcat Faithful,

I was able to watch yesterday's game in person, and it was great to see the Cats play strong in the 4th quarter. I hope the coaching staff now realizes that good things can happen when you run the ball after halftime. I also hope that McGee realizes that the floater pass in the 3rd quarter that led to an interception was a DUMB call.

I was thrilled to see Ohio State lose. I think it sets up a nice scenario for Illinois to have a let-down game next week. They know they are going bowling but they can't win the conference, so they really don't have much to play for and the Cats do. Expect victory. 

Jim

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Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
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From MHRJGScott at aol.com  Sun Nov 11 14:31:42 2007
From: MHRJGScott at aol.com (MHRJGScott@aol.com)
Date: Sun Nov 11 14:25:57 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] (no subject)
Message-ID: <d66.19f4a2f8.3468c0ae@aol.com>

#1 is Red Grange, as Grantland Rice writes in the following poetic  
description: "A streak of fire, a breath of flame Eluding all who reach and  clutch; A 
gray ghost thrown into the game That rival hands may never touch; A  rubber 
bounding, blasting soul Whose destination is the goal ? Red Grange of  Illinois!"
 Best defensive player, Butkus also of  Illinois.



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From johnadeg at comcast.net  Sun Nov 11 14:57:10 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Sun Nov 11 14:47:44 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Sunday Thoughts
Message-ID: <111120072057.17680.47376CA600026F75000045102215567074090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

Nothing that Illinois would like better than to knock off NU and probably eny us a bowl bid.

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Jim Leonard <jleonard518@yahoo.com>
> Fellow Wildcat Faithful,
> 
> I was able to watch yesterday's game in person, and it was great to see the Cats 
> play strong in the 4th quarter. I hope the coaching staff now realizes that good 
> things can happen when you run the ball after halftime. I also hope that McGee 
> realizes that the floater pass in the 3rd quarter that led to an interception 
> was a DUMB call.
> 
> I was thrilled to see Ohio State lose. I think it sets up a nice scenario for 
> Illinois to have a let-down game next week. They know they are going bowling but 
> they can't win the conference, so they really don't have much to play for and 
> the Cats do. Expect victory. 
> 
> Jim
> 
> __________________________________________________
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> Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
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From Hakirsch at aol.com  Sun Nov 11 15:02:53 2007
From: Hakirsch at aol.com (Hakirsch@aol.com)
Date: Sun Nov 11 14:54:27 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Sunday Thoughts
Message-ID: <cc4.20950230.3468c7fd@aol.com>

In a message dated 11/11/2007 12:58:01 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
johnadeg@comcast.net writes:

> Nothing that Illinois would like better than to knock off NU and probably 
> eny us a bowl bid.
> 
> 

I think they are more interested in beating us to improve their bowl 
invitation

Harry


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 See what's new at 
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From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Sun Nov 11 15:28:10 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Sun Nov 11 15:18:41 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] WILDCAT WRAP: Northwestern 31, Indiana 28
Message-ID: <299023.95868.qm@web52905.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

WILDCAT WRAP ? NORTHWESTERN 31, INDIANA 28

There are a lot of ways you could look at
Northwestern?s 31-28 season home finale win over
Indiana. It could be a team finally getting over that
hump and learning to win games they need to finish
when they have leads in the fourth quarter. It could
be the Cats almost blowing another game they should
have easily won with turnovers and mistakes. It could
be a case of some gutsy performances from seniors and
team leaders for the home finale. Or it could be just
another exciting finish to a Northwestern football
game in Ryan Field by the comeback Cats.

But it might just be that Saturday?s game will go down
as the Replay Bowl. Several key plays ? including two
touchdowns (and what probably should have been a
third) ? were held up while officials upstairs took an
extra look to get the call right. And when a fumble
appeared to end Indiana?s final drive and give NU the
victory, the Evanston crowd had to hold their breath
while replay officials went to work before they could
confirm the call on the field and celebrate the Senior
Day victory.

Northwestern came into the game after a heartbreaking
home loss to Iowa last week in a game where NU
dominated the first quarter and played well most of
the game, but for the second straight week, a 17-14 NU
lead at the end of three evaporated into a Wildcat
loss. In fact, of the five Wildcat defeats this year,
they were leading Michigan, Purdue and Iowa in the
fourth and had four chances to win at the end against
Duke. Only the Ohio State debacle was out of reach. So
while no one doubted the Cats ability to comeback,
their ability to finish out games they?re leading was
definitely called into question.

The weather was a brisk Midwestern autumn day, perfect
for the pigskin, and the Hoosiers brought quite a bit
more fans than they usually do to Evanston. No doubt
they were anticipating this game being win No. 7 that
would make a long-awaited bowl bid all but certain.
The IU Marching Hundred band was also in attendance,
making for a spirited afternoon. Though I must say,
between their little march song for IU first downs
(complete with odd hand gestures) and that blasted
whistle for Purdue, you?re gonna need to bring some
earplugs to the old bucket game next week to leave
with a sense of sanity. C?mon Marching Hundred, you
have the INDIANA Jones march to play, why are you
milking cows?

The first quarter against started much like last
week?s first quarter except with different results.
Once again, Northwestern dominated the opening 15
minutes, controlling the clock, moving it up and down
the field and dominating the total yardage on offense.
But the Cats had to settle for a field goal on their
opening march and the Hoosiers didn?t even need to put
their offense on the field as the ensuing kick was
returned 91 yards for a touchdown.

Coming into the game, most purple-clad fans knew that
Northwestern needed to finish the drive with ?6 not 3?
and I was even willing to print up shirts saying ?I
HATE FIELD GOALS? given how kicks have been an, um,
adventure this year. But the first 16 minutes of the
game just made the point all the greater. Northwestern
had the ball for 31 of the game?s first 35 plays. The
defense even forced a 3-and-out after an interception
where C.J. Bacher woefully underthrew a deep pass. But
with IU?s kick return and NU?s drives stalling for a
field goal and a missed field goal, the Cats were down
3-7 at the start of the second quarter despite
dominating every phase of the game outside of special
teams.

Things looked even worse when the Hoosiers finally
woke up and drove down for a touchdown on their second
possession. And despite a great burst up the middle by
Tyrell Sutton, showing flashes of the No. 19 NU fans
know and love, moved the ball deep into IU territory,
the Cats promptly squandered yet another scoring
chance when a touchdown pass by Bacher bounced out of
Ross Lane?s hands and into an IU defender in the end
zone.

The Wildcats had had four offensive series, all
marching to midfield or beyond, and had only three
points. Two ended in field goal tries, while two ended
in interceptions. NU fans were wondering what they had
to do to score when something almost unheard of in
recent Wildcat history happened.

Indiana was driving off the turnover when quarterback
Kellen Lewis was knocked out for a play. When backup
Ben Chappell came in and made one throw, the NU
defense made the interception and senior Eddie Simpson
ran it back 40 yards for the touchdown. The teams
exchanged punts until halftime and the Cats headed to
the locker room down only 10-14, thanks to their
defense.

At halftime, the NU Marching Band put on a great show
? once again bringing out ?Rhapsody in Blue? for
?American Airlines Day? at Ryan Field in a wonderfully
sly slam on corporate sponsorship. Sadly, though, the
usual ?olde plus four? and senior recognition was
rushed by time and the teams coming back on the field
a bit early. In fact, the alma mater was performed at
a brisk pace ? quicker than the fight song is most
days ? to rush off the field in time. After all their
hard work to make Saturdays special, the seniors in
NUMB deserve a better send-off!

Another quick editorial comment: The Wildcat defense
played much better this game than in the past ? more
aggressive and more pressuring. Our front four were
able to get consistent pressure on IU all day, and
even if their line isn?t as good as I thought, they
still have one of the more mobile quarterbacks in
Hardy who can scramble out of most jams. I am NOT
trying to say Colby deserves to stay as defensive
coordinator, though. For some reason, he refused to
give Sherrick McManus any help all day on James Hardy.
I love McManis? enthusiasm and aggression, but Hardy
is indeed every bit as good as advertised and had a
huge height advantage all day. By putting McManus
one-on-one and having no inside help when McManis had
to play the fade down by the end zone, Hardy easily
cut one in for a wide open score and could have done
so all day if the Hoosiers had gone to him more.
Overall, he only had a quiet 100 yards or so ? not
nearly as bad as it could have been with our defensive
game plan to not double cover the best receiver in the
league. But we did come with more blitz schemes and
got good pressure when only rushing the front line.

But the game started to really get crazy in the second
half. The officials really hadn?t played much of a
role in the game ? not calling a lot both ways and
staying out of it for the most part. But that usually
commendable approach could not be tolerated any more
on the first series of the second half when a
scrambling Lewis ? running toward the sideline with
THE MARKER ON IT ? took a couple steps over the line
before hurling a 70-yard touchdown strike to break the
game open again at 20-10 Indiana.

To be honest, I didn?t even see who caught it
downfield or even know it was a TD until a bit later.
I was too stunned that with an official AND A MARKER
right by the play, no one had thrown a flag for
crossing the line. From midfield and sixty rows up, I
could clearly see two steps past the line of scrimmage
and pointed in stunned outrage, yelling for replay in
disbelief that no flag had been thrown. Were these
officials napping through the game? How could my so-so
eyesight spot this so obviously while they missed it,
I incredulously thought.

Ten years ago, it would have just been an outrage post
for the message boards afterwards, but thank goodness
we have instant replay and they buzzed down in the
nick of time. It was a huge turning point in the game
as the play came on third down and when the folks
upstairs finally got it right, it became a 14-point
swing because the Cats drove down after the ensuing
punt to take a 17-14 lead on Sutton?s 1-yard plunge.

After the Wildcat defense again forced a punt (a
make-up replay reversal had given the Hoosiers one
first down but they couldn?t get another), the
situation was all too familiar for NU fans. The Cats
had the ball, up 17-14 in the second half. Against
Purdue and Iowa, they had been in this situation many
times and failed to get that ?next score? that would
put some distance between themselves and their
opponent. But senior Kim Thompson stepped up this time
to make sure his home finale would not be the third
game in a row of blown opportunities. Thompson caught
two key third down conversions to spur a drive that
ended in a touchdown when senior Brandon Roberson
turned a halfback option into a touchdown pass to a
wide open Thompson in the end zone.

The play was a great call and Thompson snuck behind
the defense and could have set up camp in the end zone
for a couple weeks before being detected. However,
IU?s defense forced a delay in the pass and tipped it
enough that it took a fantastic catch by Thompson on
the side of the end zone to get the score. Of course
the play was reviewed, but this time the refs had made
the right call on the lead and the Cats were up 28-17.
Finally, some breathing distance for Wildcat fans ?
were they learning to finish?

The other great thing about this drive ? and all of
NU?s possessions in the second half this week ? was
that they did not forget about the running game. In
the Iowa and Purdue losses, Sutton rarely touched the
ball. On Saturday, he was fed early and often on NU?s
drives. He didn?t break any long, but it kept the Cats
in manageable third downs and kept the defense honest
against the run and pass.

With just over a quarter left, however, NU fans knew
this one was not over. Indiana finally seemed to
realize that they had the Big Ten?s best receiver in
single coverage and used a couple big passes to Hardy
to set up a touchdown to cut the lead back to three.
The touchdown itself probably should have been added
to the replay list for the day. I was surprised no one
challenged it. They didn?t show a replay on the
jumbotron, but it sure looked like it may have been
slipping out as he dove for the end zone and barely
crossed the line.

In any case, the score stood and instead of being up
17-14, NU was now up 24-21 entering the final fifteen
minutes. Bacher quickly drove the Cats downfield ?
aided by another big Thompson catch ? and the Cats
were facing 3rd and Goal at the Hoosier 3 yard line
with just over 10 minutes left.

As soon as they ran the play and before the ball was
thrown, I yelled out the words I now wanted to print
on a new T-shirt: ?I HATE THE FADE.? You can run a
fade when you have a huge height edge like Hardy had.
You can run the fade when you have a great leaper. You
can run it when you have a perfect throw or the far
side of the field. Northwestern had none of those
things. All I thought would happen was an incomplete
and we?d have to go for it on 4th down (?NO MORE FIELD
GOALS!? was another T-shirt idea) 
 but it was worse.
Indiana intercepted it and with 10:19 remaining in the
game, Northwestern?s third interception gave Indiana a
golden chance to take the lead and get that big bowl
win.

The Cats brought pressure and sacked Hardy once, but
the next time he escaped with a big scramble and
fueled a drive that ended with an easy Hardy
touchdown. With no inside help and McManis having to
play the fade, Hardy cut it in for a wide open score
to put Indiana ahead 28-24 with six minutes remaining.

Now was when the Cats had folded in the past two
weeks, but not this time. Everything finally came
together for play calling, Bacher and the entire
offense as the Cats gave the home fans and seniors
another thrilling finish. It?s telling that the Cats
had four sets of downs on the final drive and on each
of the four first downs and four second downs, NU
dialed up a rushing play. Big difference from the past
couple weeks!

Not only did the running game keep the defense honest
and mix up the offense, it took a lot of time off the
clock and surprisingly, the Hoosiers didn?t empty
their supply of timeouts to keep more left on the
clock for a comeback drive. The balance finally paid
off. On 3rd and 2 from the IU 3, everyone in the house
was expecting a run. There was almost an audible gasp
from the crowd when Bacher kept the ball and dropped
back. Thankfully for the purple-clad fans, he zipped a
perfect strike to Lane for the touchdown and with 44
seconds left, NU topped their ?magical mark? of 30
points that seems to determine wins and losses for the
season to take the lead at 31-28.

A poor kickoff out of bounds gave the Hoosiers one
last chance and after a couple first downs moved
Indiana within range of a couple Hail Mary?s (and that
was a scary thought for NU with Hardy on the field).
But the Wildcat pressure continued to be fierce and
David Ngene came up with perhaps the play of the year
to knock the ball free on a sack to seal the victory.
Of course, the play would be reviewed. But after what
seemed like an endless wait for the fans in Ryan
Field, the call stood and Northwestern had won its
sixth game of the season and ended the home slate on
an high note with a thrilling 31-28 victory.

The Big Ten has 10 bowl eligible teams heading into
the final week of play, so six wins likely won?t be
enough for an extra game this year. This means the
Cats have to come up with their best game of the year
to win at rival Illinois ? coming off their biggest
win in years ? next week to secure a postseason trip,
and even then it might not be a sure thing if other
upsets happen.

But all that analysis ? and the continued beating of
the heads against the wall for letting Duke and Iowa
slip away at home ? can wait. For now it was a
wonderful scene for fans to see the Wildcat team head
over to the students and band to victoriously sing ?Go
U Northwestern? one more time with the sound
reverberating throughout Ryan Field this year. Always
nice to go out on a win.

GAME BALLS
* Our Seniors. Outside of the O-line and secondary,
the losses to graduation shouldn?t hurt NU too much
next year. However, as they were being introduced, I
reflected on how much this group of seniors have had
to endure and how much they have meant to this
program. Two years ago on Senior Day, they were
celebrating with the rest as the Cats came back to
beat Iowa en route to a Sun Bowl berth and a bright
future. But with the tragedy of Coach Walker?s death,
they had to grow up and become team leaders in a hurry
as juniors. There were some rough times, but two years
later they were able to walk off Ryan Field with a
comeback win  and bowl eligibility for their team.
It?s important that this group of seniors would not
let NU?s program slip back to the dark ages, much as
they would not let NU lose this game. To single a
couple out 

* Kim Thompson. Big catches. Clutch catches.
Especially on third down on the winning drive. We?ll
have a great group of receivers back next year, but
we?ll still have big shoes to fill with Thompson?s
leadership and composure in crunch time.
* Eddie Simpson. The whole defense was aggressive
today ? nice to see ? but this senior?s interception
and return were a turning point in this game.

THINGS TO WORK ON
* Turnovers. One pick wasn?t C.J.?s fault, but the
other two were. They could have cost us dearly in the
first half as we squandered many opportunities to blow
this one open early.
* No more field goals. Period. From now on, if we get
it near midfield, it?s four down territory.
* No more fades. Ever. Until we get a  6-6 wideout.
Overall the coaches did well today, but you still
cringed on that fade call or IU?s touchdown where NU
gave no help on Hardy. Good aggression on D and
excellent job remembering to run in the fourth on
offense ? but still a long way to go.

AROUND THE LEAGUE
* ILLINOIS deserves to be a top 20 team. This was not
OHIO STATE losing as much as it was ILLINOIS winning.
Amazing composure in keeping the ball out of OSU?s
hands in the fourth quarter. Sad for the Big Ten to
see an extra BCS berth chance fade, but great to show
folks that like the SEC, we have great depth and
balance and are not as depleted as people think. Now
hopefully the Cats can catch the Zookers celebrating
next week and get a much-needed win to keep Sweet
Sioux.
* I had no idea of Mike Hart?s playing or not playing,
or the time left, but when I saw the updates of
MICHIGAN at WISCONSIN and saw a 23-7 lead become 23-14
in the fourth quarter, all I could do was shake my
head and wonder why good ole Lloyd Carr didn?t go for
two. Sure, there was a lot of time left, but without a
lot of starters in the 4th quarter on the road, you go
for two to make it a one possession game! They could
have tied it instead of making it 23-21 later ? but
still, nice win by the Badgers to defend home turf and
show why they?re a top 25 team  as well.
* PENN STATE had a snoozer this week, but will
definitely need some style points next week in what
should be a wild race for the Florida New Year?s bowls
between the Illini, Badgers, Nits and OSU/UM loser.
With only one BCS berth, the non-January bowls with
Big Ten ties are going to get some big-name teams.
* Was MICHIGAN STATE?s win against PURDUE a cathartic
showing that they were finally not the old Sparty team
that folds like a lawnchair in November? Or was it
just Purdue?s overrated self catching up to it? We?ll
see next week. But you know that the Motor City Bowl
will be wearing a lot of green next week.
* Keep the pig! IOWA quietly has turned around its
season nicely and should win next week to get to 7
wins and a bowl berth.

Always good to end with a win. While we?ll be kicking
ourselves for weeks against the ones that got away
against Duke, Iowa and even Purdue and Michigan,
overall this has been a solid season. Coach Fitz has
started to leave more of his imprint on the team and
hopefully that continues with a more aggressive
defense (and a new DC?) next year. And McGee is
starting to learn how to best use the weapons he has
on offense and that will continue to be a lot next
year, especially if Brewer returns healthy. I smell a
whole gadget play section of the playbook!

Like I said with the seniors, it?s important to
realize that they helped hold this team together
through some tough times in the past two years and
after a year of transition last year, we?re back to
where we need to be this year ? in the mix for bowl
contention. Next year we need to build of that success
and finish those victories off to get to 8, 9 or 10
wins consistently. With a  few changes on the
assistant staff, I think we?re heading in that
direction.

Also of note is that Fitz is now halfway to Walker?s
mark of beating all of the Big Ten teams. He now has
victories over Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and
MSU. Of course, those last five look to be a bit
tougher and whether or not he gets them will really
show whether or not he?s taken the Cats to that next
level during his coaching career.

So good finish to the home season ? now let?s finish
it out on the road. The Illini will hopefully be
looking ahead to a possible Zooker Bowl in Orlando
against Florida and celebrating their huge win. It
will be tough to contain Juice Williams and Mendenhall
without the turnovers the Illini had at the start of
the year. But it is a rivalry game, so throw those
records out, strap on the pads and let?s go hit
someone. We play our in-state rival for a bowl berth
on the last weekend of the year ? can you ask for much
more?

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!

__________________________________________________
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From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Sun Nov 11 15:36:58 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Sun Nov 11 15:27:27 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Sunday Thoughts
In-Reply-To: <111120072057.17680.47376CA600026F75000045102215567074090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <286468.39187.qm@web52908.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

> Nothing that Illinois would like better than to
> knock off NU and probably eny us a bowl bid.

I'm not sure about that. The Illini have never really
seen us a rival - more of a nuisance. Kind of like
Michigan views MSU, except unlike Sparty, we're
winning our rivalry game recently.:)

Illinois likes to fancy the Wolverines and Buckeyes as
their rivals and they have a natural rivalry with the
Badgers that carries over from the Packers-Bears (at
least we're on their radar - their other designated
rival, IU, is only a rival for hoops).

I hope we can sneak up on the Illini, but I do think
they'll be ready given how they've lost this game so
much recently. Plus, they probably have a Citrus Bowl
bid coming to them if they win, so they'll be ready.

Our Sweet Sioux games recently have been fun shootout
and I expect another with two great offenses. The
difference will be whose drives stall with turnovers
and punts. We need to get some takeaways and not
settle for field goals and we have the potential to
pull off the upset.

It'll be interesting to see who we need to cheer for
next weekend. Obviously we need to win and we need
MSU, Indiana and Iowa to lose. That would be the easy
was as a 7-5 team goes ahead of 6-6 teams. But if one
or more of them win, there might still be some
at-large spots open if we can get to 7 wins. The SEC
and Big Ten each look to have 10 eligible teams but we
already have our 10 with six wins, so getting #7 would
be huge as a lot of teams elsewhere are still at 5 or
look to be stuck on 6.

We'll just have to win the game and see what happens.

GO CATS!!! KEEP SWEET SIOUX!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com 

From tbng at comcast.net  Sun Nov 11 16:02:08 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Sun Nov 11 15:52:45 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Illinois
References: <286468.39187.qm@web52908.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <000501c824ae$817b4cb0$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>

Has anyone noticed that in 2009 Illinois is the season's penultimate game? 
Wisconsin is last.  Interesting departure from tradition.  When is the last 
time that happened? 

From thehaze at earthlink.net  Sun Nov 11 16:26:24 2007
From: thehaze at earthlink.net (Jim Bendat)
Date: Sun Nov 11 16:16:51 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Illinois
In-Reply-To: <000501c824ae$817b4cb0$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
References: <286468.39187.qm@web52908.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
	<000501c824ae$817b4cb0$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
Message-ID: <47378190.7080502@earthlink.net>

I recall our two championship seasons in 1995 and 1996.  Illinois was in 
the middle of the season, and we finished each of those years against 
Purdue.  When I went to NU in 1970, I recall the Illinois game being the 
FIRST conference game of that season, and we beat them, 48-0 (that's the 
game that Paul Levinson also fondly recalls, but for a different 
reason!).  -- Jim


Dennis W. Brandt wrote:
> Has anyone noticed that in 2009 Illinois is the season's penultimate 
> game? Wisconsin is last.  Interesting departure from tradition.  When 
> is the last time that happened?

From Willie.Weinbaum at espn.com  Sun Nov 11 16:36:06 2007
From: Willie.Weinbaum at espn.com (Weinbaum, Willie)
Date: Sun Nov 11 16:27:14 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Illinois
Message-ID: <EBEB58980DB31543B690E276B97F69560699DCAA@XCHGNYM2.corp.espn.pvt>

In the 1978 season opener, in future NFL head coach Rick Venturi's first game as head coach of the Wildcats, NU & UI tied 0-0 on a 100-degree day at Champaign.  That was one of only two non-losses in Venturi's three years (1-31-1 total, 0-10-1 in '78, 1-10 in '79 & 0-11 in '80) & his only non-loss in Big Ten play.  

W. Weinbaum
N.Y. Bureau Producer
212-916-9864

>From GoodLink synchronized handheld 

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	Jim Bendat [mailto:thehaze@earthlink.net]
Sent:	Sunday, November 11, 2007 05:27 PM Eastern Standard Time
To:	nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject:	Re: [NU Sports] Illinois

I recall our two championship seasons in 1995 and 1996.  Illinois was in 
the middle of the season, and we finished each of those years against 
Purdue.  When I went to NU in 1970, I recall the Illinois game being the 
FIRST conference game of that season, and we beat them, 48-0 (that's the 
game that Paul Levinson also fondly recalls, but for a different 
reason!).  -- Jim


Dennis W. Brandt wrote:
> Has anyone noticed that in 2009 Illinois is the season's penultimate 
> game? Wisconsin is last.  Interesting departure from tradition.  When 
> is the last time that happened?

_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
From Alan.Abrahamson at nbcsports.com  Sun Nov 11 18:23:12 2007
From: Alan.Abrahamson at nbcsports.com (Abrahamson, Alan (NBC Universal))
Date: Sun Nov 11 18:15:44 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Illinois
Message-ID: <33C4F11DF8639640A51C79CB484166FF031D2657@RKFMLVEM02.e2k.ad.ge.com>

I was there. 
 It was ugly. 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com <nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com>
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com <nwu-sports@tssi.com>
Sent: Sun Nov 11 17:36:06 2007
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Illinois

In the 1978 season opener, in future NFL head coach Rick Venturi's first game as head coach of the Wildcats, NU & UI tied 0-0 on a 100-degree day at Champaign.  That was one of only two non-losses in Venturi's three years (1-31-1 total, 0-10-1 in '78, 1-10 in '79 & 0-11 in '80) & his only non-loss in Big Ten play.  

W. Weinbaum
N.Y. Bureau Producer
212-916-9864

>From GoodLink synchronized handheld 

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	Jim Bendat [mailto:thehaze@earthlink.net]
Sent:	Sunday, November 11, 2007 05:27 PM Eastern Standard Time
To:	nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject:	Re: [NU Sports] Illinois

I recall our two championship seasons in 1995 and 1996.  Illinois was in 
the middle of the season, and we finished each of those years against 
Purdue.  When I went to NU in 1970, I recall the Illinois game being the 
FIRST conference game of that season, and we beat them, 48-0 (that's the 
game that Paul Levinson also fondly recalls, but for a different 
reason!).  -- Jim


Dennis W. Brandt wrote:
> Has anyone noticed that in 2009 Illinois is the season's penultimate 
> game? Wisconsin is last.  Interesting departure from tradition.  When 
> is the last time that happened?

_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From michael.vance at att.net  Sun Nov 11 22:44:48 2007
From: michael.vance at att.net (Michael Vance)
Date: Sun Nov 11 22:35:23 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Congratulations, Jonathan!
Message-ID: <4737DA40.1000703@att.net>

Unless there's another Jon Hawkins out there, congratulations go out to 
lister Jonathan Michael Hawkins for winning the second of two DiGiorno 
Fan of the Game contests!  Jon was all decked out in his purple, enough 
to win by a commanding margin!

-Michael

From whosonfirst81 at yahoo.com  Sun Nov 11 23:50:04 2007
From: whosonfirst81 at yahoo.com (Ben Adler)
Date: Mon Nov 12 01:27:11 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Very provocative commentary
Message-ID: <686609.94500.qm@web60714.mail.yahoo.com>

If you haven't seen today's commentary on the commercialism of college football by author Michael Lewis (Moneyball, The Blind Side) in the NY Times, it's definitely worth a read.  Not exactly preaching to the choir...
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/opinion/11lewis.html

__________________________________________________
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Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
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From tbng at comcast.net  Mon Nov 12 06:20:26 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Mon Nov 12 06:12:02 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Very provocative commentary
References: <686609.94500.qm@web60714.mail.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <002501c82526$683751e0$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>

Very lopsided commentary.  The New York Times says college football is all about racism?  I'm stunned.  Note to Michael:  Every athletic scholarship to a poor black kid grants him an opportunity that millions of other kids of all races cursed with skinny arms would love to have come their way.  Given the tutors made available to college football players and the opportunity to stretch their academic year beyond two semesters/three quarters without cost, universities are providing academic assistance that no one ever offered me.  Strange how Lewis never mentioned what a college education can mean to an individual's lifetime income or compared football graduation rates to overall rates.

There are lots of loose accusations in Lewis's article.  "Why do we never hear of a great high school football player choosing a college for the quality of its professors?"  I guess because you're not listening, Michael.  Note 2 to Michael:  If you can't get a good education at the Ohio State football factory, you don't want a good education.  "The N.C.A.A. confines its anti-market strictures to the players - and God help the interior lineman who is caught breaking them."  That interior lineman knew the rules when he signed up, and I am reasonably certain that he is reminded of those rules from time to time.  "The lie at the bottom of the fantasy [is that] these marvelous athletes who take the field on Saturdays and generate millions for their colleges are students first, and football players second."  If that is true, it lies in the players' individual attitudes because student-athlete is the ideal and the aim of NCAA regulations.  "Why are these enterprises that have nothing to do with education and everything to do with profits exempt from paying taxes?"  Examine what happens to the revenues generated.  If they are going into individuals' pockets, let's talk.

There is truth in Lewis's article, but it drowns in demagoguery.  Apparently the fans don't agree with him because they keep putting their butts in the seats and buying college products.  And the kids keep applying for a life-changing opportunity.
From Alan.Abrahamson at nbcsports.com  Mon Nov 12 06:55:09 2007
From: Alan.Abrahamson at nbcsports.com (Abrahamson, Alan (NBC Universal))
Date: Mon Nov 12 06:47:38 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Bummer for us
Message-ID: <33C4F11DF8639640A51C79CB484166FF031D265C@RKFMLVEM02.e2k.ad.ge.com>

 NYT this a.m., and this is truly a drag since one of the things the Cats could benefit from is the possibility the Cheating, er, Fighting Illini might fall into a trap game, having waxed the No. 1 Buckeyes only to line up next against the 6-5 Wildcats:
 '... Illinois has a good shot to reach the Fiesta Bowl,' according to BCS guru Jerry Palm, 'if the Illini win next week against Northwestern and some teams ahead of them lose.'
 Great. 
 If I were the Zooker, I know how I would game-plan against the Cats. Throw deep. A lot. Like Juice Williams did against the Buckeyes. 
 Meanwhile, if I were Fitz, I would assign someone - Kadela? - to spy on Williams on every play. The reason the Illini kept that sustained fourth-quarter drive going was Williams' ability to run the ball himself. 

From MHRJGScott at aol.com  Mon Nov 12 07:58:33 2007
From: MHRJGScott at aol.com (MHRJGScott@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 12 07:52:57 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Very provocative commentary
Message-ID: <c8d.18c3f8b6.3469b609@aol.com>

Lewis makes no new points. Like Telender has written about for years, there  
is hypocrisy and economic inequality in college football, not unlike most  
aspects of our partially free society.  I wonder if Lewis is donating some  of 
his royalties to the poor black kids he is exploiting with his  diatribe.



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Mon Nov 12 08:28:46 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Mon Nov 12 08:19:21 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Bummer for us
In-Reply-To: <33C4F11DF8639640A51C79CB484166FF031D265C@RKFMLVEM02.e2k.ad.ge.com>
References: <33C4F11DF8639640A51C79CB484166FF031D265C@RKFMLVEM02.e2k.ad.ge.com>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711120628j79fb50cfs677a2dc400b25d50@mail.gmail.com>

What the NU defense needs to do is play straight up, stay in their lanes,
and take away as much of the running game as possible.  Sure, Juice had 4
TDs against OSU, but the fact is that he's still not a great passer and his
strength is running the ball.  OSU's biggest issue is that they let Illinois
take a lead then the OSU D "pressed" too much (I know NU has heard a lot of
that word, especially in its 4th quarter meltdowns) - e.g. the defenders
were trying too hard to become "heroes" and do it all at once with a big
stop.  Meanwhile, Illinois took advantage of that with a lot of fake
handoffs (which OSU seemed to bite on every time) leaving guys out of
position and holes to run through.  Northwestern needs to contain this by
not overpursing and having someone in position to take care of business - I
was surprised that NU was so effective at containing Lewis this past week,
who had under 40 yards on the ground (along with being sacked 3 times).
Once again the key to the game for the 'Cats will be getting pressure on
Williams and containing him so he can't make things happen with his feet
while closing off their running game.

It's definitely a "win-able" game for Northwestern, but they will have to
reduce their mistakes.  3 score-less trips to the end zone like against
Indiana will cost NU even more against a stronger Illinois team.  But, I
fully expect this week's game to be a close, hard-fought battle.

Jonathan

On Nov 12, 2007 6:55 AM, Abrahamson, Alan (NBC Universal) <
Alan.Abrahamson@nbcsports.com> wrote:

>  NYT this a.m., and this is truly a drag since one of the things the Cats
> could benefit from is the possibility the Cheating, er, Fighting Illini
> might fall into a trap game, having waxed the No. 1 Buckeyes only to line up
> next against the 6-5 Wildcats:
>  '... Illinois has a good shot to reach the Fiesta Bowl,' according to BCS
> guru Jerry Palm, 'if the Illini win next week against Northwestern and some
> teams ahead of them lose.'
>  Great.
>  If I were the Zooker, I know how I would game-plan against the Cats.
> Throw deep. A lot. Like Juice Williams did against the Buckeyes.
>  Meanwhile, if I were Fitz, I would assign someone - Kadela? - to spy on
> Williams on every play. The reason the Illini kept that sustained
> fourth-quarter drive going was Williams' ability to run the ball himself.
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com  Mon Nov 12 08:30:47 2007
From: jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com (Jeff Beamsley)
Date: Mon Nov 12 08:21:57 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Very provocative commentary
In-Reply-To: <686609.94500.qm@web60714.mail.yahoo.com>
References: <686609.94500.qm@web60714.mail.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0540@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>

I thought it an interesting read, had some new facts, easy to dance to, etc.
As others have already pointed out, it was in the end a shallow pop song
repeating common themes.

What would have been interesting is if he dug into the real question, "Do
those who play college football benefit from the experience?"  Instead he
took the easy road using "everybody knows" logic - everybody knows that
college football players don't get paid and everybody knows that only a small
percentage of them end up with NFL careers, so the rest must be exploited.

I would like to see some longitudinal study which compares non-athletes and
athletes and how they fare two, five, and ten years after they graduate.
That would give a better picture of whether or not those who received a
college education in return for their athletic contributions were getting a
good return on their investment.

Jeff


-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of Ben Adler
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 12:50 AM
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: [NU Sports] Very provocative commentary

If you haven't seen today's commentary on the commercialism of college
football by author Michael Lewis (Moneyball, The Blind Side) in the NY Times,
it's definitely worth a read.  Not exactly preaching to the choir...
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/opinion/11lewis.html

__________________________________________________
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Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
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From jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com  Mon Nov 12 09:04:46 2007
From: jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com (Jeff Beamsley)
Date: Mon Nov 12 08:55:56 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Bummer for us
In-Reply-To: <fcb3ee270711120628j79fb50cfs677a2dc400b25d50@mail.gmail.com>
References: <33C4F11DF8639640A51C79CB484166FF031D265C@RKFMLVEM02.e2k.ad.ge.com>
	<fcb3ee270711120628j79fb50cfs677a2dc400b25d50@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F054C@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>

I think that the big question is whether the Illinois victory was an anomaly
or evidence of a maturing football team.

The only other game of theirs that I saw was against Michigan.

The team that played Michigan had a lot of penalties and made a lot of
mistakes. Juice was benched for a while because he seemed tentative and threw
some bad passes.  If that's the team that shows up, they are eminently
beatable.

They played an almost perfect game against OSU.  They didn't turn the ball
over.  They had only one penalty.  Juice was in control from beginning to
end.  It seemed that OSU's game plan was to take away Mendenhall, which they
pretty much did.  They didn't figure that Juice could beat them, but he had
the OSU defense guessing the whole game, and when OSU did guess right, he
made a play with his feet.  The defense stuffed OSU's running game, got them
down early, turned them into a pass only team, and got into Boeckman's head.
If they play us as they played OSU, they will score early and often because
CJ is going to throw a lot of picks.  

I think our game plan has to be pretty much the same as OSU.  We have to take
away their run and run options, put them in obvious passing situations, and
make sure that Juice throws the ball.  If he has a great day, then tip your
hat and walk off the field.

When we have the ball, we have to be patient, play field position, and let
them make the mistakes.  C.J. is going to have to make some plays with his
feet too.  

Could be a very interesting game.

Jeff





-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of Jonathan Hodges
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 9:29 AM
To: Abrahamson, Alan (NBC Universal)
Cc: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Bummer for us

What the NU defense needs to do is play straight up, stay in their lanes, and
take away as much of the running game as possible.  Sure, Juice had 4 TDs
against OSU, but the fact is that he's still not a great passer and his
strength is running the ball.  OSU's biggest issue is that they let Illinois
take a lead then the OSU D "pressed" too much (I know NU has heard a lot of
that word, especially in its 4th quarter meltdowns) - e.g. the defenders were
trying too hard to become "heroes" and do it all at once with a big stop.
Meanwhile, Illinois took advantage of that with a lot of fake handoffs (which
OSU seemed to bite on every time) leaving guys out of position and holes to
run through.  Northwestern needs to contain this by not overpursing and
having someone in position to take care of business - I was surprised that NU
was so effective at containing Lewis this past week, who had under 40 yards
on the ground (along with being sacked 3 times).
Once again the key to the game for the 'Cats will be getting pressure on
Williams and containing him so he can't make things happen with his feet
while closing off their running game.

It's definitely a "win-able" game for Northwestern, but they will have to
reduce their mistakes.  3 score-less trips to the end zone like against
Indiana will cost NU even more against a stronger Illinois team.  But, I
fully expect this week's game to be a close, hard-fought battle.

Jonathan

On Nov 12, 2007 6:55 AM, Abrahamson, Alan (NBC Universal) <
Alan.Abrahamson@nbcsports.com> wrote:

>  NYT this a.m., and this is truly a drag since one of the things the 
> Cats could benefit from is the possibility the Cheating, er, Fighting 
> Illini might fall into a trap game, having waxed the No. 1 Buckeyes 
> only to line up next against the 6-5 Wildcats:
>  '... Illinois has a good shot to reach the Fiesta Bowl,' according to 
> BCS guru Jerry Palm, 'if the Illini win next week against Northwestern 
> and some teams ahead of them lose.'
>  Great.
>  If I were the Zooker, I know how I would game-plan against the Cats.
> Throw deep. A lot. Like Juice Williams did against the Buckeyes.
>  Meanwhile, if I were Fitz, I would assign someone - Kadela? - to spy 
> on Williams on every play. The reason the Illini kept that sustained 
> fourth-quarter drive going was Williams' ability to run the ball himself.
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



--
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From spiritu at northwestern.edu  Mon Nov 12 10:07:20 2007
From: spiritu at northwestern.edu (Jonathan Michael Hawkins)
Date: Mon Nov 12 09:57:54 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Congratulations, Jonathan!
In-Reply-To: <4737DA40.1000703@att.net>
References: <4737DA40.1000703@att.net>
Message-ID: <d477ce9c0711120807g1f3efaecwbce924e54228e87a@mail.gmail.com>

Thanks Michael!  It was great fun to be out there on the field, and the
large margin of my victory was very flattering.  ;-)

Unexpected was the several children who came up to me afterwards like I was
some kind of mini-celebrity.  It was great.  :)

Better, though, was the win. :)

Go 'Cats,

Jon

On Nov 11, 2007 10:44 PM, Michael Vance <michael.vance@att.net> wrote:

> Unless there's another Jon Hawkins out there, congratulations go out to
> lister Jonathan Michael Hawkins for winning the second of two DiGiorno
> Fan of the Game contests!  Jon was all decked out in his purple, enough
> to win by a commanding margin!
>
> -Michael
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>
From rstetson at capps-assoc.com  Mon Nov 12 10:10:35 2007
From: rstetson at capps-assoc.com (Roy Lamberton)
Date: Mon Nov 12 09:58:54 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Very provocative commentary
In-Reply-To: <686609.94500.qm@web60714.mail.yahoo.com>
References: <686609.94500.qm@web60714.mail.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <000001c82546$8f1f9810$ad5ec830$@com>

OK Mr. Lewis:

We take some the of the millions that College football generates away from the
other sports programs and give it to those poor exploited players.

All that does is make another class of "rich" student, one who's loyalties are
not to getting educated but to just playing football. Big test tomorrow, aw blow
it off - go down to the bar and party. Pay those kids enough money so they don't
figure they need to learn anything!

Then we'll have an entire new generation of big, strong 22 year olds who can't
earn an honest living except maybe working construction cleanup for minimum
wage. Yeah, there are other endeavors they can get into, I'm sure their
entrepreneurial spirit will lead some of them into organized crime, where they
can eventually earn a .45 slug in the back of the head or a lifetime of room and
board on the rest of us.

One of the things I do here in my town is coach under 13 football. Over half of
my "kids" are probably of African descent, I assume that from their appearance,
and contact with their mothers. Some of their dads get recruited to help me
coach but I rarely see the other fathers except at games when I'm too busy then
to pay much attention.

As a coach, looking to instill the idea of winning on the field [and in life], I
actually could care less about their background or parentage. I just want them
to learn to be successful - both in school and on the field.

You can ask any of my former players - I stress to my kids that they should
continue their education and play football as long as they can at any level. 

You see, I have a son who is now pretty successful in the construction business
- he's the youngest project Superintendent for a major builder in North
Carolina. The only way we got him to go to college [and open up that door to
management] was Div III football.

At one time I agreed with you Mr. Lewis. I didn't see the value of any organized
sport in the development of teenagers. 

But now I'm convinced that the salvation of this generation is going to be
sports programs that stress the hard work it takes to become a winner, and the
team effort it takes to maintain that winning tradition. It doesn't take a
village - it takes mentors who are willing to work with any kid who is
interested.

I think the old adage is that "nothing is ever accomplished without enthusiasm"
- or as we preach "desire, intensity, enthusiasm." 

The majority of College football players know this - they eventually realize
what they've been given to enhance their God given athletic talents. [see
Darnell Autry]. If their exploits on the field [and court] help provide
opportunity and experience for more kids in other sports, fine. Somebody has to
pay for the Soccer fields, Tennis courts, etc, not to mention the value of the
scholarships awarded.

If a kid didn't perform, would they get fired from the University? Or the team?

The issue here is that America grew great by rewarding those who knew how to win
- those who could build organizations to excel and provide goods and services to
the rest of us. Football and its rewarding of coaches, is just a small
reflection of that idea.

Paying student athletes will just encourage the attitude that all they can do is
play football, I would suggest that many would become low paid university
student employees and that's not what the "student athlete" concept is really
all about.

rsl
 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate
& sometime Unix Guru....
Computer Applications & Support Associates
Northwestern University, Speech 1974 
=====  Go Cats -? Beat 'em All =============
"You have a Republic Madam --
???? If you can keep it" - Benjamin Franklin
============================================

> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
> Behalf Of Ben Adler
> Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 12:50 AM
> To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
> Subject: [NU Sports] Very provocative commentary
> 
> If you haven't seen today's commentary on the commercialism of college
> football by author Michael Lewis (Moneyball, The Blind Side) in the NY
> Times, it's definitely worth a read.  Not exactly preaching to the choir...
> http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/opinion/11lewis.html
> 
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> http://mail.yahoo.com
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports


From mlinhardt at netzero.net  Mon Nov 12 10:19:18 2007
From: mlinhardt at netzero.net (mlinhardt@netzero.net)
Date: Mon Nov 12 10:12:58 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Very provocative commentary
Message-ID: <20071112.101918.16134.2@webmail17.dca.untd.com>

I am not sure how I feel about such articles.

Part of me enjoys the slam against the football-only schools where education is secondary.  I always love going to Northwestern booster functions where a coach talks about high graduation rates and there is a ton of applause.  

I have a connection with our players the same way I have a connection with the alums on the list.  We all spent 4(sometimes more) years of our lives at a place that after graduation we regard highly enough to invest our mental energies, time, and dollars in.

Beyond that I think if it ever came down to paying players I would rather drop football.  And yes I am serious about this point.  Now the NCAA could get the stick-out-of-their-butt and adjust some of the rules to be more player friendly, but paying Vince Young $5 mill or our QB $500k is wrong.

-- "Jeff Beamsley" <jeff.beamsley@hilgraeve.com> wrote:
I thought it an interesting read, had some new facts, easy to dance to, etc.
As others have already pointed out, it was in the end a shallow pop song
repeating common themes.

What would have been interesting is if he dug into the real question, "Do
those who play college football benefit from the experience?"  Instead he
took the easy road using "everybody knows" logic - everybody knows that
college football players don't get paid and everybody knows that only a small
percentage of them end up with NFL careers, so the rest must be exploited.

I would like to see some longitudinal study which compares non-athletes and
athletes and how they fare two, five, and ten years after they graduate.
That would give a better picture of whether or not those who received a
college education in return for their athletic contributions were getting a
good return on their investment.

Jeff


-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of Ben Adler
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 12:50 AM
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: [NU Sports] Very provocative commentary

If you haven't seen today's commentary on the commercialism of college
football by author Michael Lewis (Moneyball, The Blind Side) in the NY Times,
it's definitely worth a read.  Not exactly preaching to the choir...
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/opinion/11lewis.html

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From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Mon Nov 12 11:07:42 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Mon Nov 12 10:58:08 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Bummer for us
In-Reply-To: <33C4F11DF8639640A51C79CB484166FF031D265C@RKFMLVEM02.e2k.ad.ge.com>
Message-ID: <591430.30437.qm@web52911.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

Couple interesting points raised by Alan ...

>  NYT this a.m., and this is truly a drag since one
> of the things the Cats could benefit from is the
> possibility the Cheating, er, Fighting Illini might

Interesting that each of the three times I've been
back to Chicago this year for an Illini game, one of
the local papers (this time it was the Trib's sib, the
Red Eye) has some almost joking aside comment about
the Illini being on a dream run "until NCAA sanctions
kick in" or something referencing Zook's recruiting
practices.

I know most of these comments are made in jest, but I
guess it just surprised me to see the Chicago media so
openly joke and reference this. Not something NCAA
schools usually like to kid about, I'm sure.

>  '... Illinois has a good shot to reach the Fiesta
> Bowl,' according to BCS guru Jerry Palm, 'if the
> Illini win next week against Northwestern and some
> teams ahead of them lose.'

I would think they need a lot of teams ahead of them
to lose. I would think the only real way would be if
Hawaii lost - then maybe a spot would open up for a
Big Ten school. But still tough to see a 3-loss team
in.

* One spot will surely go to an SEC school - Florida
is likely a favorite, though Georgia could be helped
by missing out on the SEC title game via losing the
tiebreak with Tennessee. A 10-2 Dawgs team that
doesn't lose to LSU in their last game might be
attractive.

* A second spot will almost surely go to the winner of
the Turkey Day contest between USC and ASU. If the
Devils win out, they're 11-1 and in the top 5 or 6. If
the Trojans win out, they're 10-2 and recovering
nicely from the Oregon loss.

Plus, in both those cases, their bowls' natural
selection appears to be headed to the title game, so
the Sugar would love to pick another SEC school as
would the Rose Bowl with the Pac 10.

* The third spot is also a virtual lock for the Big
XII. They have three teams in the top 5 of the BCS --
and really only one of those three will likely get in
because they'll face each other and 2 of the 3 will
end the year with a loss. The at-large spot probably
goes to 10-2 Texas.

Now, if Hawaii slips up, then there might be a spot
for the Illini. The BCS can't take another from either
of the three leagues above, so it's the Illini against
the Big East (which took a blow with UConn's loss this
weekend meaning WVU is really their only candidate and
the Mountaineers will win out to get the automatic
bid) and the ACC (which also was hurt by BC's loss).

>  If I were the Zooker, I know how I would game-plan
> against the Cats. Throw deep. A lot. Like Juice
> Williams did against the Buckeyes. 

That would be my game plan as well. But I have a
feeling Illinois is going to try and just bully us
with the run. Which they're also pretty potent with.
But as an NU fan, I'd rather see them run at us than
throw at us.

>  Meanwhile, if I were Fitz, I would assign someone -
> Kadela? - to spy on Williams on every play. The
> reason the Illini kept that sustained fourth-quarter
> drive going was Williams' ability to run the ball
> himself. 

I think we will - we seemed to have Lewis contained
nicely this week as he only really sprang 1-2 big runs
on the scramble. I was shocked at how 3rd and 4th down
after 3rd and 4th down, Juice just found big holes up
the gut to run to against OSU's defense.

But really, it'll be tough to stop to stop the Illini
unless they help with a few turnovers. We're gonna
have to bring our best on offense (hopefully going on
a few 4th downs in key positions as the Illini did in
Columbus - NO MORE FIELD GOALS!) and play inspired all
around.

And what would I use to fire up the troops? Play the
tape of that Illini visit to Evanston a few years ago
when they won and draped their flags all over our
Wildcat statue. Still the most classless act I've seen
by an opponent in Evanston and still a reason I just
love to hate the Illini!

GO CATS!!! KEEP SWEET SIOUX!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
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From jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com  Mon Nov 12 11:21:35 2007
From: jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com (Jeff Beamsley)
Date: Mon Nov 12 11:12:43 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Bummer for us
In-Reply-To: <591430.30437.qm@web52911.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
References: <33C4F11DF8639640A51C79CB484166FF031D265C@RKFMLVEM02.e2k.ad.ge.com>
	<591430.30437.qm@web52911.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0597@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>

Stephen wrote <snip>

And what would I use to fire up the troops? Play the tape of that Illini
visit to Evanston a few years ago when they won and draped their flags all
over our Wildcat statue. Still the most classless act I've seen by an
opponent in Evanston and still a reason I just love to hate the Illini!

====================

You notice that they did the same thing at OSU.  In this case jumping up and
down on the big O in the middle of the field.  That's what caused that brawl
after the game was over.  The only thing that seemed to stop it was the
interview crew grabbing Zook and turning their lights on.

Let's only hope that low class stuff like that doesn't creep into the game as
accepted behavior.

Jeff

From CHerron604 at aol.com  Mon Nov 12 12:06:25 2007
From: CHerron604 at aol.com (CHerron604@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 12 11:58:12 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <d09.21414259.3469f021@aol.com>

Greg Colby, Jerry Brown and Garrick McGee are incapable of comprehending or  
beating Illinois.  The players could do it, but they will be severely  
hamstrung by at least 3 incompetents directing them.
 
Chuck Herron   Tech '85



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From CHerron604 at aol.com  Mon Nov 12 12:11:10 2007
From: CHerron604 at aol.com (CHerron604@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 12 12:02:44 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Bowl Projections (was: I see an 8th Bowl spot
	slipping away...)
Message-ID: <d49.16403148.3469f13e@aol.com>

I fear it is going to take a missed Bowl game (in a schedule with  
essentially 4 'byes') to teach the Brain Trust on Central St that something  needs to be 
done about the coaching staff.  Missed Bowl game, lost  additional practices, 
recruiting impact, etc.
 
Chuck Herron   Tech '85



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From CHerron604 at aol.com  Mon Nov 12 12:14:52 2007
From: CHerron604 at aol.com (CHerron604@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 12 12:06:38 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Sunday Thoughts
Message-ID: <c28.2146058e.3469f21c@aol.com>

And Zook is a recruiting machine - beat us, and he can point out to any  
common recruits that NU stayed home (again).  And all he has to do is  outwit 
Colby, Brown and McGee.
 
Chuck Herron   Tech '85



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From MHRJGScott at aol.com  Mon Nov 12 12:22:49 2007
From: MHRJGScott at aol.com (MHRJGScott@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 12 12:14:39 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Sunday Thoughts
Message-ID: <c7a.209d4915.3469f3f9@aol.com>

The guys on Orrington avenue can learn from Zook what needs to happen on  
Central Street, a desire to win even if it means cutting a few corners, bending  
not breaking a few rules and losing the "gentleman's game" attitude, after 
Zook  got run out of here (Florida) he had something to prove. And he  did.



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From johnadeg at comcast.net  Mon Nov 12 12:35:40 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Mon Nov 12 12:26:46 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] WILDCAT WRAP: Northwestern 31, Indiana 28
Message-ID: <111220071835.1511.47389CFB000DBCAA000005E72216548686090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

I don't know if Indiana had more fans at the game than NU did, but the stadium looked like it was half empty.  That sure doesn't help in trying to get a bowl bid.

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "SjT (Stephen J. Truog)" <sjtruog@yahoo.com>
> WILDCAT WRAP – NORTHWESTERN 31, INDIANA 28
> 
> There are a lot of ways you could look at
> Northwestern’s 31-28 season home finale win over
> Indiana. It could be a team finally getting over that
> hump and learning to win games they need to finish
> when they have leads in the fourth quarter. It could
> be the Cats almost blowing another game they should
> have easily won with turnovers and mistakes. It could
> be a case of some gutsy performances from seniors and
> team leaders for the home finale. Or it could be just
> another exciting finish to a Northwestern football
> game in Ryan Field by the comeback Cats.
> 
> But it might just be that Saturday’s game will go down
> as the Replay Bowl. Several key plays – including two
> touchdowns (and what probably should have been a
> third) – were held up while officials upstairs took an
> extra look to get the call right. And when a fumble
> appeared to end Indiana’s final drive and give NU the
> victory, the Evanston crowd had to hold their breath
> while replay officials went to work before they could
> confirm the call on the field and celebrate the Senior
> Day victory.
> 
> Northwestern came into the game after a heartbreaking
> home loss to Iowa last week in a game where NU
> dominated the first quarter and played well most of
> the game, but for the second straight week, a 17-14 NU
> lead at the end of three evaporated into a Wildcat
> loss. In fact, of the five Wildcat defeats this year,
> they were leading Michigan, Purdue and Iowa in the
> fourth and had four chances to win at the end against
> Duke. Only the Ohio State debacle was out of reach. So
> while no one doubted the Cats ability to comeback,
> their ability to finish out games they’re leading was
> definitely called into question.
> 
> The weather was a brisk Midwestern autumn day, perfect
> for the pigskin, and the Hoosiers brought quite a bit
> more fans than they usually do to Evanston. No doubt
> they were anticipating this game being win No. 7 that
> would make a long-awaited bowl bid all but certain.
> The IU Marching Hundred band was also in attendance,
> making for a spirited afternoon. Though I must say,
> between their little march song for IU first downs
> (complete with odd hand gestures) and that blasted
> whistle for Purdue, you’re gonna need to bring some
> earplugs to the old bucket game next week to leave
> with a sense of sanity. C’mon Marching Hundred, you
> have the INDIANA Jones march to play, why are you
> milking cows?
> 
> The first quarter against started much like last
> week’s first quarter except with different results.
> Once again, Northwestern dominated the opening 15
> minutes, controlling the clock, moving it up and down
> the field and dominating the total yardage on offense.
> But the Cats had to settle for a field goal on their
> opening march and the Hoosiers didn’t even need to put
> their offense on the field as the ensuing kick was
> returned 91 yards for a touchdown.
> 
> Coming into the game, most purple-clad fans knew that
> Northwestern needed to finish the drive with “6 not 3”
> and I was even willing to print up shirts saying “I
> HATE FIELD GOALS” given how kicks have been an, um,
> adventure this year. But the first 16 minutes of the
> game just made the point all the greater. Northwestern
> had the ball for 31 of the game’s first 35 plays. The
> defense even forced a 3-and-out after an interception
> where C.J. Bacher woefully underthrew a deep pass. But
> with IU’s kick return and NU’s drives stalling for a
> field goal and a missed field goal, the Cats were down
> 3-7 at the start of the second quarter despite
> dominating every phase of the game outside of special
> teams.
> 
> Things looked even worse when the Hoosiers finally
> woke up and drove down for a touchdown on their second
> possession. And despite a great burst up the middle by
> Tyrell Sutton, showing flashes of the No. 19 NU fans
> know and love, moved the ball deep into IU territory,
> the Cats promptly squandered yet another scoring
> chance when a touchdown pass by Bacher bounced out of
> Ross Lane’s hands and into an IU defender in the end
> zone.
> 
> The Wildcats had had four offensive series, all
> marching to midfield or beyond, and had only three
> points. Two ended in field goal tries, while two ended
> in interceptions. NU fans were wondering what they had
> to do to score when something almost unheard of in
> recent Wildcat history happened.
> 
> Indiana was driving off the turnover when quarterback
> Kellen Lewis was knocked out for a play. When backup
> Ben Chappell came in and made one throw, the NU
> defense made the interception and senior Eddie Simpson
> ran it back 40 yards for the touchdown. The teams
> exchanged punts until halftime and the Cats headed to
> the locker room down only 10-14, thanks to their
> defense.
> 
> At halftime, the NU Marching Band put on a great show
> – once again bringing out “Rhapsody in Blue” for
> “American Airlines Day” at Ryan Field in a wonderfully
> sly slam on corporate sponsorship. Sadly, though, the
> usual “olde plus four” and senior recognition was
> rushed by time and the teams coming back on the field
> a bit early. In fact, the alma mater was performed at
> a brisk pace – quicker than the fight song is most
> days – to rush off the field in time. After all their
> hard work to make Saturdays special, the seniors in
> NUMB deserve a better send-off!
> 
> Another quick editorial comment: The Wildcat defense
> played much better this game than in the past – more
> aggressive and more pressuring. Our front four were
> able to get consistent pressure on IU all day, and
> even if their line isn’t as good as I thought, they
> still have one of the more mobile quarterbacks in
> Hardy who can scramble out of most jams. I am NOT
> trying to say Colby deserves to stay as defensive
> coordinator, though. For some reason, he refused to
> give Sherrick McManus any help all day on James Hardy.
> I love McManis’ enthusiasm and aggression, but Hardy
> is indeed every bit as good as advertised and had a
> huge height advantage all day. By putting McManus
> one-on-one and having no inside help when McManis had
> to play the fade down by the end zone, Hardy easily
> cut one in for a wide open score and could have done
> so all day if the Hoosiers had gone to him more.
> Overall, he only had a quiet 100 yards or so – not
> nearly as bad as it could have been with our defensive
> game plan to not double cover the best receiver in the
> league. But we did come with more blitz schemes and
> got good pressure when only rushing the front line.
> 
> But the game started to really get crazy in the second
> half. The officials really hadn’t played much of a
> role in the game – not calling a lot both ways and
> staying out of it for the most part. But that usually
> commendable approach could not be tolerated any more
> on the first series of the second half when a
> scrambling Lewis – running toward the sideline with
> THE MARKER ON IT – took a couple steps over the line
> before hurling a 70-yard touchdown strike to break the
> game open again at 20-10 Indiana.
> 
> To be honest, I didn’t even see who caught it
> downfield or even know it was a TD until a bit later.
> I was too stunned that with an official AND A MARKER
> right by the play, no one had thrown a flag for
> crossing the line. From midfield and sixty rows up, I
> could clearly see two steps past the line of scrimmage
> and pointed in stunned outrage, yelling for replay in
> disbelief that no flag had been thrown. Were these
> officials napping through the game? How could my so-so
> eyesight spot this so obviously while they missed it,
> I incredulously thought.
> 
> Ten years ago, it would have just been an outrage post
> for the message boards afterwards, but thank goodness
> we have instant replay and they buzzed down in the
> nick of time. It was a huge turning point in the game
> as the play came on third down and when the folks
> upstairs finally got it right, it became a 14-point
> swing because the Cats drove down after the ensuing
> punt to take a 17-14 lead on Sutton’s 1-yard plunge.
> 
> After the Wildcat defense again forced a punt (a
> make-up replay reversal had given the Hoosiers one
> first down but they couldn’t get another), the
> situation was all too familiar for NU fans. The Cats
> had the ball, up 17-14 in the second half. Against
> Purdue and Iowa, they had been in this situation many
> times and failed to get that “next score” that would
> put some distance between themselves and their
> opponent. But senior Kim Thompson stepped up this time
> to make sure his home finale would not be the third
> game in a row of blown opportunities. Thompson caught
> two key third down conversions to spur a drive that
> ended in a touchdown when senior Brandon Roberson
> turned a halfback option into a touchdown pass to a
> wide open Thompson in the end zone.
> 
> The play was a great call and Thompson snuck behind
> the defense and could have set up camp in the end zone
> for a couple weeks before being detected. However,
> IU’s defense forced a delay in the pass and tipped it
> enough that it took a fantastic catch by Thompson on
> the side of the end zone to get the score. Of course
> the play was reviewed, but this time the refs had made
> the right call on the lead and the Cats were up 28-17.
> Finally, some breathing distance for Wildcat fans –
> were they learning to finish?
> 
> The other great thing about this drive – and all of
> NU’s possessions in the second half this week – was
> that they did not forget about the running game. In
> the Iowa and Purdue losses, Sutton rarely touched the
> ball. On Saturday, he was fed early and often on NU’s
> drives. He didn’t break any long, but it kept the Cats
> in manageable third downs and kept the defense honest
> against the run and pass.
> 
> With just over a quarter left, however, NU fans knew
> this one was not over. Indiana finally seemed to
> realize that they had the Big Ten’s best receiver in
> single coverage and used a couple big passes to Hardy
> to set up a touchdown to cut the lead back to three.
> The touchdown itself probably should have been added
> to the replay list for the day. I was surprised no one
> challenged it. They didn’t show a replay on the
> jumbotron, but it sure looked like it may have been
> slipping out as he dove for the end zone and barely
> crossed the line.
> 
> In any case, the score stood and instead of being up
> 17-14, NU was now up 24-21 entering the final fifteen
> minutes. Bacher quickly drove the Cats downfield –
> aided by another big Thompson catch – and the Cats
> were facing 3rd and Goal at the Hoosier 3 yard line
> with just over 10 minutes left.
> 
> As soon as they ran the play and before the ball was
> thrown, I yelled out the words I now wanted to print
> on a new T-shirt: “I HATE THE FADE.” You can run a
> fade when you have a huge height edge like Hardy had.
> You can run the fade when you have a great leaper. You
> can run it when you have a perfect throw or the far
> side of the field. Northwestern had none of those
> things. All I thought would happen was an incomplete
> and we’d have to go for it on 4th down (“NO MORE FIELD
> GOALS!” was another T-shirt idea) … but it was worse.
> Indiana intercepted it and with 10:19 remaining in the
> game, Northwestern’s third interception gave Indiana a
> golden chance to take the lead and get that big bowl
> win.
> 
> The Cats brought pressure and sacked Hardy once, but
> the next time he escaped with a big scramble and
> fueled a drive that ended with an easy Hardy
> touchdown. With no inside help and McManis having to
> play the fade, Hardy cut it in for a wide open score
> to put Indiana ahead 28-24 with six minutes remaining.
> 
> Now was when the Cats had folded in the past two
> weeks, but not this time. Everything finally came
> together for play calling, Bacher and the entire
> offense as the Cats gave the home fans and seniors
> another thrilling finish. It’s telling that the Cats
> had four sets of downs on the final drive and on each
> of the four first downs and four second downs, NU
> dialed up a rushing play. Big difference from the past
> couple weeks!
> 
> Not only did the running game keep the defense honest
> and mix up the offense, it took a lot of time off the
> clock and surprisingly, the Hoosiers didn’t empty
> their supply of timeouts to keep more left on the
> clock for a comeback drive. The balance finally paid
> off. On 3rd and 2 from the IU 3, everyone in the house
> was expecting a run. There was almost an audible gasp
> from the crowd when Bacher kept the ball and dropped
> back. Thankfully for the purple-clad fans, he zipped a
> perfect strike to Lane for the touchdown and with 44
> seconds left, NU topped their “magical mark” of 30
> points that seems to determine wins and losses for the
> season to take the lead at 31-28.
> 
> A poor kickoff out of bounds gave the Hoosiers one
> last chance and after a couple first downs moved
> Indiana within range of a couple Hail Mary’s (and that
> was a scary thought for NU with Hardy on the field).
> But the Wildcat pressure continued to be fierce and
> David Ngene came up with perhaps the play of the year
> to knock the ball free on a sack to seal the victory.
> Of course, the play would be reviewed. But after what
> seemed like an endless wait for the fans in Ryan
> Field, the call stood and Northwestern had won its
> sixth game of the season and ended the home slate on
> an high note with a thrilling 31-28 victory.
> 
> The Big Ten has 10 bowl eligible teams heading into
> the final week of play, so six wins likely won’t be
> enough for an extra game this year. This means the
> Cats have to come up with their best game of the year
> to win at rival Illinois – coming off their biggest
> win in years – next week to secure a postseason trip,
> and even then it might not be a sure thing if other
> upsets happen.
> 
> But all that analysis – and the continued beating of
> the heads against the wall for letting Duke and Iowa
> slip away at home – can wait. For now it was a
> wonderful scene for fans to see the Wildcat team head
> over to the students and band to victoriously sing “Go
> U Northwestern” one more time with the sound
> reverberating throughout Ryan Field this year. Always
> nice to go out on a win.
> 
> GAME BALLS
> * Our Seniors. Outside of the O-line and secondary,
> the losses to graduation shouldn’t hurt NU too much
> next year. However, as they were being introduced, I
> reflected on how much this group of seniors have had
> to endure and how much they have meant to this
> program. Two years ago on Senior Day, they were
> celebrating with the rest as the Cats came back to
> beat Iowa en route to a Sun Bowl berth and a bright
> future. But with the tragedy of Coach Walker’s death,
> they had to grow up and become team leaders in a hurry
> as juniors. There were some rough times, but two years
> later they were able to walk off Ryan Field with a
> comeback win  and bowl eligibility for their team.
> It’s important that this group of seniors would not
> let NU’s program slip back to the dark ages, much as
> they would not let NU lose this game. To single a
> couple out …
> * Kim Thompson. Big catches. Clutch catches.
> Especially on third down on the winning drive. We’ll
> have a great group of receivers back next year, but
> we’ll still have big shoes to fill with Thompson’s
> leadership and composure in crunch time.
> * Eddie Simpson. The whole defense was aggressive
> today – nice to see – but this senior’s interception
> and return were a turning point in this game.
> 
> THINGS TO WORK ON
> * Turnovers. One pick wasn’t C.J.’s fault, but the
> other two were. They could have cost us dearly in the
> first half as we squandered many opportunities to blow
> this one open early.
> * No more field goals. Period. From now on, if we get
> it near midfield, it’s four down territory.
> * No more fades. Ever. Until we get a  6-6 wideout.
> Overall the coaches did well today, but you still
> cringed on that fade call or IU’s touchdown where NU
> gave no help on Hardy. Good aggression on D and
> excellent job remembering to run in the fourth on
> offense – but still a long way to go.
> 
> AROUND THE LEAGUE
> * ILLINOIS deserves to be a top 20 team. This was not
> OHIO STATE losing as much as it was ILLINOIS winning.
> Amazing composure in keeping the ball out of OSU’s
> hands in the fourth quarter. Sad for the Big Ten to
> see an extra BCS berth chance fade, but great to show
> folks that like the SEC, we have great depth and
> balance and are not as depleted as people think. Now
> hopefully the Cats can catch the Zookers celebrating
> next week and get a much-needed win to keep Sweet
> Sioux.
> * I had no idea of Mike Hart’s playing or not playing,
> or the time left, but when I saw the updates of
> MICHIGAN at WISCONSIN and saw a 23-7 lead become 23-14
> in the fourth quarter, all I could do was shake my
> head and wonder why good ole Lloyd Carr didn’t go for
> two. Sure, there was a lot of time left, but without a
> lot of starters in the 4th quarter on the road, you go
> for two to make it a one possession game! They could
> have tied it instead of making it 23-21 later – but
> still, nice win by the Badgers to defend home turf and
> show why they’re a top 25 team  as well.
> * PENN STATE had a snoozer this week, but will
> definitely need some style points next week in what
> should be a wild race for the Florida New Year’s bowls
> between the Illini, Badgers, Nits and OSU/UM loser.
> With only one BCS berth, the non-January bowls with
> Big Ten ties are going to get some big-name teams.
> * Was MICHIGAN STATE’s win against PURDUE a cathartic
> showing that they were finally not the old Sparty team
> that folds like a lawnchair in November? Or was it
> just Purdue’s overrated self catching up to it? We’ll
> see next week. But you know that the Motor City Bowl
> will be wearing a lot of green next week.
> * Keep the pig! IOWA quietly has turned around its
> season nicely and should win next week to get to 7
> wins and a bowl berth.
> 
> Always good to end with a win. While we’ll be kicking
> ourselves for weeks against the ones that got away
> against Duke, Iowa and even Purdue and Michigan,
> overall this has been a solid season. Coach Fitz has
> started to leave more of his imprint on the team and
> hopefully that continues with a more aggressive
> defense (and a new DC?) next year. And McGee is
> starting to learn how to best use the weapons he has
> on offense and that will continue to be a lot next
> year, especially if Brewer returns healthy. I smell a
> whole gadget play section of the playbook!
> 
> Like I said with the seniors, it’s important to
> realize that they helped hold this team together
> through some tough times in the past two years and
> after a year of transition last year, we’re back to
> where we need to be this year – in the mix for bowl
> contention. Next year we need to build of that success
> and finish those victories off to get to 8, 9 or 10
> wins consistently. With a  few changes on the
> assistant staff, I think we’re heading in that
> direction.
> 
> Also of note is that Fitz is now halfway to Walker’s
> mark of beating all of the Big Ten teams. He now has
> victories over Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and
> MSU. Of course, those last five look to be a bit
> tougher and whether or not he gets them will really
> show whether or not he’s taken the Cats to that next
> level during his coaching career.
> 
> So good finish to the home season – now let’s finish
> it out on the road. The Illini will hopefully be
> looking ahead to a possible Zooker Bowl in Orlando
> against Florida and celebrating their huge win. It
> will be tough to contain Juice Williams and Mendenhall
> without the turnovers the Illini had at the start of
> the year. But it is a rivalry game, so throw those
> records out, strap on the pads and let’s go hit
> someone. We play our in-state rival for a bowl berth
> on the last weekend of the year – can you ask for much
> more?
> 
> GO CATS!!!
> -SjT
> 
> * * * * * * * * *
> STEPHEN J. TRUOG
> sjtruog@yahoo.com
> GO CATS!!!
> 
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
> http://mail.yahoo.com 
> 
> _______________________________________________
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> nwu-sports@tssi.com
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From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Mon Nov 12 12:39:16 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Mon Nov 12 12:30:38 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <d09.21414259.3469f021@aol.com>
References: <d09.21414259.3469f021@aol.com>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711121039m6b479acxae4457a23361779@mail.gmail.com>

Nevermind the fact that NU has beaten Illinois the past 4 consecutive years
with those guys on the coaching staff and that this year the 'Cats have
managed 6 victories.  Obviously many are calling for Colby and Brown's heads
, and rightfully so after this season for years of defensive futility, but
the defense has been at least moderately successful this year - for
instance, the defense only allowed 3 TDs to Indiana, a team that scored 30+
on 7 occasions this year.  And I would hardly call McGee incompetent for
coaching the #1 total offense in the Big Ten - sure NU has issues scoring,
but if you've watched the offense progress from its first game of 2006 until
now it has improved by leaps and bounds - and a lot of that reflects on
McGee (who is still in just his second year as a coordinator).  I am hardly
an apologist for the NU coaching staff, but at least give them a little
credit for their successes and don't start giving the 'Cats no chance right
now.

I fully expect the game this week to be a close, hard-fought battle.  The
key to the game is slowing down Illinois' rushing attack, and NU has shown
the ability to stop teams from running the ball well - NU held Hart in check
for the most part and shut down most of Iowa's running game.  Offensively,
NU still has to be able to get points on the board after it gets down the
field - NU failed to score on 3 red zone trips against Indiana, and that
won't cut it this week.

Jonathan

On Nov 12, 2007 12:06 PM, <CHerron604@aol.com> wrote:

>  Greg Colby, Jerry Brown and Garrick McGee are incapable of comprehending
> or beating Illinois.  The players could do it, but they will be severely
> hamstrung by at least 3 incompetents directing them.
>
> Chuck Herron   Tech '85
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
> See what's new at AOL.com <http://www.aol.com?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001170>and Make
> AOL Your Homepage<http://www.aol.com/mksplash.adp?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001169>
> .
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From CHerron604 at aol.com  Mon Nov 12 12:51:12 2007
From: CHerron604 at aol.com (CHerron604@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 12 12:43:02 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <c0f.136153a0.3469faa0@aol.com>

Colby/Brown blew a 10-point lead late with their horrific defense, giving  up 
2 easy touchdowns and forcing CJ and company to make a valiant drive.   
Fortunately, they were able to milk most of the clock, or Colby/Brown would have  
yielded another easy score to the Hoosiers.
 
As for McGee, when 'yardage gained' becomes the deciding factor in wins and  
losses, we will give him credit for his yards (read that, the players' yards,  
gained by their talent and athleticism...McGee is mostly along for the  
ride).  Wins and losses are based on points, however, and McGee is abysmal  at 
scoring points when in the red zone.
 
It's wonderful that he's learning...We're proud Garrick is learning, lets  
put one of his red zone game plans up on the fridge door.  Northwestern is  a 
Big Ten school, not a learning stopover for would-be Offensive  Coordinators.  
Wilson and Dunbar knew their stuff when they got here.   If McGee needs to 
learn to be an OC, let him do it in the MAC, or NAIA, or  Division III - not at a 
BCS conference school.
 
Chuck Herron   Tech '85
 
 



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From johnadeg at comcast.net  Mon Nov 12 12:54:36 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Mon Nov 12 12:45:37 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <111220071854.9940.4738A16C0008CC7E000026D42216548686090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

Having a defense and for that matter special teams that are "moderately successful isn't going to cut it as Indiana, Illinois and even Minnesota improve.  Colby and Brown have to go.

John DeGroat 
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Jonathan Hodges" <jonathanwhodges@gmail.com>
> Nevermind the fact that NU has beaten Illinois the past 4 consecutive years
> with those guys on the coaching staff and that this year the 'Cats have
> managed 6 victories.  Obviously many are calling for Colby and Brown's heads
> , and rightfully so after this season for years of defensive futility, but
> the defense has been at least moderately successful this year - for
> instance, the defense only allowed 3 TDs to Indiana, a team that scored 30+
> on 7 occasions this year.  And I would hardly call McGee incompetent for
> coaching the #1 total offense in the Big Ten - sure NU has issues scoring,
> but if you've watched the offense progress from its first game of 2006 until
> now it has improved by leaps and bounds - and a lot of that reflects on
> McGee (who is still in just his second year as a coordinator).  I am hardly
> an apologist for the NU coaching staff, but at least give them a little
> credit for their successes and don't start giving the 'Cats no chance right
> now.
> 
> I fully expect the game this week to be a close, hard-fought battle.  The
> key to the game is slowing down Illinois' rushing attack, and NU has shown
> the ability to stop teams from running the ball well - NU held Hart in check
> for the most part and shut down most of Iowa's running game.  Offensively,
> NU still has to be able to get points on the board after it gets down the
> field - NU failed to score on 3 red zone trips against Indiana, and that
> won't cut it this week.
> 
> Jonathan
> 
> On Nov 12, 2007 12:06 PM, <CHerron604@aol.com> wrote:
> 
> >  Greg Colby, Jerry Brown and Garrick McGee are incapable of comprehending
> > or beating Illinois.  The players could do it, but they will be severely
> > hamstrung by at least 3 incompetents directing them.
> >
> > Chuck Herron   Tech '85
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> > See what's new at AOL.com <http://www.aol.com?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001170>and 
> Make
> > AOL Your Homepage<http://www.aol.com/mksplash.adp?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001169>
> > .
> >
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Jonathan W. Hodges
> 1237 Emerson St Apt 2
> Evanston, IL  60201-3577
> (847) 736-2449
> jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Mon Nov 12 13:41:42 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Mon Nov 12 13:32:08 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Sunday Thoughts
In-Reply-To: <c7a.209d4915.3469f3f9@aol.com>
Message-ID: <68249.88626.qm@web52902.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

> The guys on Orrington avenue can learn from Zook
> what needs to happen on  
> Central Street, a desire to win even if it means
> cutting a few corners, bending  

I'm not sure about that. If the cutting corners is as
brazen as the Chicago media seem to think it is, it
will be a matter of time before the Illini are on
probation and Zook is run out for another job.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com 

From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Mon Nov 12 13:43:35 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Mon Nov 12 13:33:59 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Sunday Thoughts
In-Reply-To: <c28.2146058e.3469f21c@aol.com>
Message-ID: <652922.98082.qm@web52905.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

> And Zook is a recruiting machine - beat us, and he
> can point out to any  
> common recruits that NU stayed home (again).  And
> all he has to do is  outwit 

I highly doubt that Zook is recruiting many of the
same kids that we are.

Again, we need to remember that Illinois does not see
us as their main rival -- on the field, recruiting or
otherwise. We're a pesky nuisance to them, but not
someone they're going to mention beating to recruits
or circle in red on the schedule before the season.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com 

From pcw at warnerpatents.com  Mon Nov 12 13:44:28 2007
From: pcw at warnerpatents.com (Peter C. Warner)
Date: Mon Nov 12 13:36:04 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] NU-ILL Game on ESPN at noon ET Sat
Message-ID: <001a01c82564$72d2bcf0$6400a8c0@Latitude>




From DPENDERG at aol.com  Mon Nov 12 14:09:19 2007
From: DPENDERG at aol.com (DPENDERG@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 12 14:03:54 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <d1b.178c3f58.346a0cef@aol.com>

 
I could not agree more.  NU coaching staff will find a way to lose  this game 
even if Illini may be ripe for the upset.  The players deserve  better (and I 
assume the off-season will produce staff changes, which  Murphy will 
undoubtedly encourage).  
 
Whatever happens on Saturday, however, this season will be haunted by one  
four-letter word: DUKE.  That was the most inexcusable, pathetic loss we  had 
this year and probably dooms our bowl prospects.  The Cats were simply  and 
completely out-coached by the ACC doormat.  I personally think it was a  more 
devastating and costly loss than New Hampshire in 2006.  I still  cannot believe 
we lost to the Blue Devils.
 
 
In a message dated 11/12/2007 1:08:31 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
CHerron604@aol.com writes:

Greg  Colby, Jerry Brown and Garrick McGee are incapable of comprehending or  
 
beating Illinois.  The players could do it, but they will be  severely  
hamstrung by at least 3 incompetents directing  them.

Chuck Herron   Tech  '85



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From johnadeg at comcast.net  Mon Nov 12 16:21:29 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Mon Nov 12 16:12:30 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <111220072221.20180.4738D1E9000ABF5600004ED42215555884090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

The basketball season looks to be another total disaster.  The Big Ten Network had a show on the upcoming season and unless I missed something there was nothing said about NU, even Penn State was discussed.  Carmody is another coach that has to go.

At this point in the football recruiting season, NU is ranked 65th by Rivals.Com, not great by any measure but it is still early. 

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: DPENDERG@aol.com
>  
> I could not agree more.  NU coaching staff will find a way to lose  this game 
> even if Illini may be ripe for the upset.  The players deserve  better (and I 
> assume the off-season will produce staff changes, which  Murphy will 
> undoubtedly encourage).  
>  
> Whatever happens on Saturday, however, this season will be haunted by one  
> four-letter word: DUKE.  That was the most inexcusable, pathetic loss we  had 
> this year and probably dooms our bowl prospects.  The Cats were simply  and 
> completely out-coached by the ACC doormat.  I personally think it was a  more 
> devastating and costly loss than New Hampshire in 2006.  I still  cannot believe 
> we lost to the Blue Devils.
>  
>  
> In a message dated 11/12/2007 1:08:31 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
> CHerron604@aol.com writes:
> 
> Greg  Colby, Jerry Brown and Garrick McGee are incapable of comprehending or  
>  
> beating Illinois.  The players could do it, but they will be  severely  
> hamstrung by at least 3 incompetents directing  them.
> 
> Chuck Herron   Tech  '85
> 
> 
> 
> ************************************** See what's new at  http://www.aol.com
> _______________________________________________
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> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From NEONRye at aol.com  Mon Nov 12 16:33:04 2007
From: NEONRye at aol.com (NEONRye@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 12 16:24:32 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <bf6.232b8d91.346a2ea0@aol.com>

Boy, between John and Chuck, I'm so depressed about NU football and hoops I  
think I may find a new alma mater to root for.:-)
 
Seriously, I was as upset as anyone about losing to Duke, which was an  
unfathomable result. 
 
On the other hand, this constant litany of complaints is getting very "old"  
and monotonous--it's a funeral dirge at this point.   This certainly  isn't 
the worse year we ever had, and we have to still remember that the tragic  loss 
of Coach Walker set back the program in ways that will resound for at least  
another couple of years.
 
So can we lighten up please--at least a little?
 
Paul Levinson



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From MHRJGScott at aol.com  Mon Nov 12 16:35:39 2007
From: MHRJGScott at aol.com (MHRJGScott@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 12 16:30:03 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Sunday Thoughts
Message-ID: <c7b.1e836ca4.346a2f3b@aol.com>

They have been trying to nail Zook forever, worse than Starr on Clinton,  the 
guy wants to win and knows how to game the system like all WINNING coaches.  
Think Barnett, without the sexual harassment.



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From mlinhardt at netzero.net  Mon Nov 12 17:07:47 2007
From: mlinhardt at netzero.net (mlinhardt@netzero.net)
Date: Mon Nov 12 17:00:17 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <20071112.170747.28152.0@webmail01.dca.untd.com>

Great post.

Football regardless of the results next week was a decent season.  Not what I wanted(8-4), but not 4-8 either.  To lose your best defender(Smith) and most exciting "offensive surprise" weapon(Brewer) before the season and your most proflic offensive threat(Sutton) for 5 games and still manage to have AT LEAST a .500 season is impressive.

Basketball on the other hand could be really, really sad.  We are going to the Stanford game on Wednesday.  What I am most excited about in regards to the game is the Fast Break Club reception before the game, because Fitz is speaking.  Other than that I am more pessimistic about bball than any time since I arrived at Northwestern in '89.  Anything other than 0-18 in conference and Carmody will have done a masterful coaching job.  Btw I am not bashing the players as they are all well-spoken and good representatives of the university, but as basketball players...

Sweet Sioux Stays!
-- NEONRye@aol.com wrote:
Boy, between John and Chuck, I'm so depressed about NU football and hoops I  
think I may find a new alma mater to root for.:-)
 
Seriously, I was as upset as anyone about losing to Duke, which was an  
unfathomable result. 
 
On the other hand, this constant litany of complaints is getting very "old"  
and monotonous--it's a funeral dirge at this point.   This certainly  isn't 
the worse year we ever had, and we have to still remember that the tragic  loss 
of Coach Walker set back the program in ways that will resound for at least  
another couple of years.
 
So can we lighten up please--at least a little?
 
Paul Levinson



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From jleonard518 at yahoo.com  Mon Nov 12 17:35:45 2007
From: jleonard518 at yahoo.com (Jim Leonard)
Date: Mon Nov 12 17:26:09 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Zook the Crook
Message-ID: <965668.56354.qm@web36814.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

I have a strong feeling that Zook's instant success will be met with scandal and NCAA sanctions in the near future. I have no details, but in September I asked a friend at Rivals.com which coaches were the worst when it comes to dirty tactics and he said without question Nick Saban and Ron Zook. I realize that such speculation isn't worth the bar stool it's spoken from, but don't be surprised if Zook's empire falls fast and hard. 
 
Jim

----- Original Message ----
From: SjT (Stephen J. Truog) <sjtruog@yahoo.com>
To: MHRJGScott@aol.com; nwu-sports@romaine.tssi.com
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 1:41:42 PM
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Sunday Thoughts

> The guys on Orrington avenue can learn from Zook
> what needs to happen on  
> Central Street, a desire to win even if it means
> cutting a few corners, bending  

I'm not sure about that. If the cutting corners is as
brazen as the Chicago media seem to think it is, it
will be a matter of time before the Illini are on
probation and Zook is run out for another job.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!

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From Willie.Weinbaum at espn.com  Mon Nov 12 17:45:39 2007
From: Willie.Weinbaum at espn.com (Weinbaum, Willie)
Date: Mon Nov 12 17:36:39 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <20071112.170747.28152.0@webmail01.dca.untd.com>
References: <20071112.170747.28152.0@webmail01.dca.untd.com>
Message-ID: <EBEB58980DB31543B690E276B97F69560699DD14@XCHGNYM2.corp.espn.pvt>

I am with Paul and often cringe when I read postings with over-the-top
negativity, bashing of student-athletes, vitriolic calls for coaches'
heads, etc.  I'm certainly not urging censorship or stifled discussion,
just that everyone consider that the very people they're ripping (and
their families and friends) might be reading the postings.  Debates are
great, but so is decorum (as is perspective - - something NU fans should
have plenty of).  

---------------

-- NEONRye@aol.com wrote:
Boy, between John and Chuck, I'm so depressed about NU football and
hoops I think I may find a new alma mater to root for.:-)
 
Seriously, I was as upset as anyone about losing to Duke, which was an
unfathomable result. 
 
On the other hand, this constant litany of complaints is getting very
"old"  
and monotonous--it's a funeral dirge at this point.   This certainly
isn't 
the worse year we ever had, and we have to still remember that the
tragic  loss of Coach Walker set back the program in ways that will
resound for at least another couple of years.
 
So can we lighten up please--at least a little?
 
Paul Levinson


From CHerron604 at aol.com  Mon Nov 12 17:49:12 2007
From: CHerron604 at aol.com (CHerron604@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 12 17:40:45 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <c54.1dffa243.346a4078@aol.com>

I hate more than anything to be negative, especially this late in the  
season.  But it seems we are burdened constantly with coaches that can't  coach, 
can't recruit, can't coordinate.  This probably has alot to do with  terrible 
attendance at Dyche Stadium - it is not real enjoyable to watch as late  10-point 
leads evaporate in a flash, or as silly mistakes lead to penalties that  are 
unwarrented in game #11, or as a team gets into the red zone, and can't  
fathom how to punch it in to the endzone (this was also a BIG problem in the  Duke 
game).  Fans of other football programs don't seem to have to deal  with all 
this coaching incompetence, and we should expect and demand  better.
 
We as a University would never build our Chemistry faculty, or the Cardiac  
Surgery staff at Northwestern Memorial in the same way we put together our  
coaching staffs, but we should - look for the best people out there (outstanding  
skills and integrity), and bring them in.  RW's passing was tragic, but if  
the head of the Philosophy Department passed, we would not tolerate two years 
of  departmental malaise.
 
PS - Could we hope that anybody on Central St. maybe has given Mike Dunbar  a 
call ?  He was great as our OC, then he made 2 bad decisions - going to  Cal 
(allegedly to be closer to his family), then separating from Cal - to come  to 
hopeless/hapless Minnesota ?  I know he wants to be a head coach, but  
staying on the Gopher's sinking ship probably isn't going to help that  hope.  Come 
back here, where you have had success.
 
Chuck Herron   Tech '85



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From CHerron604 at aol.com  Mon Nov 12 17:56:01 2007
From: CHerron604 at aol.com (CHerron604@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 12 17:47:27 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <c5a.1ca91b9b.346a4211@aol.com>

If a coach doesn't want to be ripped, he should go into a different line of  
work - maybe an accountant or something.  Coaches are paid big bucks to win  
with honesty.  When they don't do that consistently, they can and should be  
ripped.  If they don't like it, don't get into coaching - especially  coaching 
at a BCS-Conference school.
 
Chuck Herron   Tech '85



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From rstetson at capps-assoc.com  Mon Nov 12 18:16:31 2007
From: rstetson at capps-assoc.com (Roy Lamberton)
Date: Mon Nov 12 18:04:48 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <c54.1dffa243.346a4078@aol.com>
References: <c54.1dffa243.346a4078@aol.com>
Message-ID: <001a01c8258a$71b96870$552c3950$@com>

I believe the saying is: "you can't go home again..." 

I'd love to see Dunbar back here, but I doubt it will happen - he wants to be
head coach again, that was obvious when he left and with his resume, I can't see
why he's not at a Div I program - in charge right now. Had he been here when RW
died, he'd probably be the head man right now.

As for the constant ripping of the assistants...

Jerry Brown is a long standing alum who just happens to be very good at working
with our young black athletes. His recruiting areas dictate how well he
recruits, but I know he's a presence in his areas.

McGee is turning into one of the better young OCs out there - I can see him
leaving for another school and being the absolute spread Guru, and all of you
nay sayers calling for Fitz head for letting him go.

Colby is doing the best job anyone can given the talent level. At most other
schools, our kids would just now be starting to play regularly, not start. Our
guys have been starting, getting hurt, and building strength for 3 years. They
are just now coming into their own.

I'm pretty sure that Colby will be moving on...Fitz will probably either take
the DC job himself or give it to one of the present assistants.

In any case, I wouldn't go out and do a wholesale housecleaning. Any top
assistant would pass on NU due to the academics. The guys we want are ones who
are on their way up who want the challenge of building an NU type program. And
given that Duke, Vandy and Stanford are all pretty stable right now, maybe we'll
have a shot at getting one - if there are openings.

Mr. Herron is an outspoken [and maybe monotonous] critic of the present staff.
I'm sure we can find e-mails where he wanted to fire Walker too. Some people
always see the glass half empty.

rsl

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate
& sometime Unix Guru....
Computer Applications & Support Associates 
=============  Go Cats -? Beat 'em All  =============
"You have a Republic Madam --
???? If you can keep it" - Benjamin Franklin
============================================


> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
> Behalf Of CHerron604@aol.com
> Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 6:49 PM
> To: NEONRye@aol.com; johnadeg@comcast.net; DPENDERG@aol.com; nwu-
> sports@tssi.com
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
> 
> I hate more than anything to be negative, especially this late in the
> season.  But it seems we are burdened constantly with coaches that can't
> coach,
> can't recruit, can't coordinate.  This probably has alot to do with
> terrible
> attendance at Dyche Stadium - it is not real enjoyable to watch as late
> 10-point
> leads evaporate in a flash, or as silly mistakes lead to penalties that
> are
> unwarrented in game #11, or as a team gets into the red zone, and can't
> fathom how to punch it in to the endzone (this was also a BIG problem in
> the  Duke
> game).  Fans of other football programs don't seem to have to deal  with
> all
> this coaching incompetence, and we should expect and demand  better.
> 
> We as a University would never build our Chemistry faculty, or the Cardiac
> Surgery staff at Northwestern Memorial in the same way we put together our
> coaching staffs, but we should - look for the best people out there
> (outstanding
> skills and integrity), and bring them in.  RW's passing was tragic, but if
> the head of the Philosophy Department passed, we would not tolerate two
> years
> of  departmental malaise.
> 
> PS - Could we hope that anybody on Central St. maybe has given Mike Dunbar
> a
> call ?  He was great as our OC, then he made 2 bad decisions - going to
> Cal
> (allegedly to be closer to his family), then separating from Cal - to come
> to
> hopeless/hapless Minnesota ?  I know he wants to be a head coach, but
> staying on the Gopher's sinking ship probably isn't going to help that
> hope.  Come
> back here, where you have had success.
> 
> Chuck Herron   Tech '85
> 
> 
> 
> ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports


From cp2m at enterprisesw.com  Mon Nov 12 18:50:42 2007
From: cp2m at enterprisesw.com (Chris and Lori Patterson)
Date: Mon Nov 12 18:45:22 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] FW: [Northwestern Sports] RE: Thoughts on the 2002
	Season
Message-ID: <665D924F98AC4CB19503CA875649CFDB@Eagle>

Here's one email from 2002. Don't ask me why I saved it. I suppose because I
found it interesting.

Maybe it's time to add to the stats. And after the season, we need to get on
and help the marketing department. Big Ten football regardless of the team
should fill stadiums.

Chris
Go CATS!

It's been a good year. Go for TWO more wins. Keep the Sweet Sioux!

-----Original Message-----
From: charles.herron@exeloncorp.com [mailto:charles.herron@exeloncorp.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2002 12:11 PM
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: [Northwestern Sports] RE: Thoughts on the 2002 Season

It seems Mr. Rick Taylor left out one statistic from his 'vote of
confidence' e-mail on RW.

Year     Coach     Avg attendance
92        Barnett          32,989
93                            30,965
94                            34,382
95                            38,230
96                            42,310
97                            41,868
98                            40,907
99        Walker          30,845
00                            33,498
01                            33,763
02                            28,611   through 5 games

It's anybody's guess how many fans will show up for the Illinois game - two
3-win teams, lousy weather, a few days before thanksgiving.  

Barnett      37,379 average
Walker      31,679 average  (DOWN 15%)

I will bet that Mr. Rick Taylor is very acquainted with this statistic,
though.  We will probably finish with our worst attendance since the Francis
Peay era.  And at $35 a ticket, we're down about $200,000 per game...down
$1.2 million per season...a deficit of $4.8 million rung up during the RW
era.  That can't be making Mr. Taylor very happy.  It can't be making
big-money guys like Pat Ryan very happy either.  And on the heels of a 3-win
season, will we see more erosion in the season-ticket base ?

Chuck Herron   Tech '85





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From Hakirsch at aol.com  Mon Nov 12 19:09:15 2007
From: Hakirsch at aol.com (Hakirsch@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 12 19:01:04 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <bcb.199b8e52.346a533b@aol.com>

In a message dated 11/12/2007 3:51:08 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
CHerron604@aol.com writes:

> We as a University would never build our Chemistry faculty, or the Cardiac  
> 
> Surgery staff at Northwestern Memorial in the same way we put together our  
> coaching staffs, but we should - look for the best people out there 
> (outstanding  
> skills and integrity), and bring them in.  RW's passing was tragic, but if  
> the head of the Philosophy Department passed, we would not tolerate two 
> years 
> of  departmental malaise.
> 

I know have repeated this mantra several times, but I don't want us to build 
our sports program the same way we build our chemistry department or our 
cardiac departments-

Academics and contributions to the world should be NU's top  priorities-(I 
believe it should be for  all colleges and universities'--but that's another 
discussion)--I don't want us doing whatever it takes to build a top football and 
basketball program--This is exactly what has gone wrong in college athletics 
during the past 40 years --win at all cost in the 2 major sports--This keeps 
alumni happy and brings in big bucks--but has led to incredible abuses-

And-If you pay coaches several millions of dollars a year and professors a 
fraction of that, what message does it send about the University ?  If you spend 
tons of dollars on atheletic facilties and let academic departments suffer, 
what does  that do for our reputation ? 

Recently Boone Pickens gave $150 MM ? to Ok State for its athletic program--I 
dont know if he has given other funds to the Unviversity for academic causes, 
but if he hasn't, I find it pretty sickening that he felt  that is where hios 
philanthropy should go

 I like all of you root hard for my ala mater  (double)--I sat through some 
pretty tough  times in the late 70's --andf I hated it--But I would never want 
us to go all out to do whatever it takes--Let's try to be the best we can be 
with our high standards -Fitz in time will be a very good , if not great coach. 
 He exemplifies everything positive about the student athlete at NU . .-But 
understand while it can be done, it isn't easy--that's the price we pay for 
going to a highly rated academic school , that doesn't favor bending its 
standards-

Harry


**************************************
 See what's new at 
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From tbng at comcast.net  Mon Nov 12 19:27:14 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Mon Nov 12 19:17:51 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Define your terms
References: <bcb.199b8e52.346a533b@aol.com>
Message-ID: <001601c82594$52928260$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>

<This is exactly what has gone wrong in college athletics
during the past 40 years --win at all cost in the 2 major sports--This keeps
alumni happy and brings in big bucks--but has led to incredible abuses-

Please list these "incredible abuses." 

From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Mon Nov 12 19:35:10 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Mon Nov 12 19:25:35 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <EBEB58980DB31543B690E276B97F69560699DD14@XCHGNYM2.corp.espn.pvt>
Message-ID: <427700.70230.qm@web52905.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

> I am with Paul and often cringe when I read postings
> with over-the-top
> negativity, bashing of student-athletes, vitriolic
> calls for coaches'

I don't remember anyone bashing the student athletes
this year. It's all pretty much been directed where it
should be - the coaches.

Yes, the Duke loss hurts, but it goes with NU's recent
history (Miami '95, Wake '96, Iowa '00, Hawaii the
year it cost us a bowl, etc.). We should be kicking
ourselves about it - along with blowing leads against
Iowa, Purdue and Michigan.

But this goes beyond the loss. We all love Fitz as our
coach for the future and I'm certain he's going to be
a great fixture on our sidelines for hopefully
decades. But he is new and relies on his coordinators
a lot, meaning they will be under the microscope.

I can see NU sticking with McGee because he is
learning, but he has to have a pretty quick curve next
year if he wants to stay beyond that. He'll have a lot
of weapons to mix around next year and we should have
a potent offense.

As for Colby, it's clearly time to move on. Yes, he
threw in more blitzes lately, but it's too little, too
late. We'll never have the talent the other schools
have, so we need to be smarter with innovative schemes
and coaches who make the right adjustments. Colby has
not done that and we need to give someone else a try.

But I think there should still be a positive vibe this
year. We need to learn a few things for next year,
especially closing out games and playing with leads
... but we were right in every game but one and given
the setback of last year's recovery from Walker's
death, we're right back in the bowl mix.

So yeah, we need to make some changes, but overall
it's a good year and hopefully it can be capped off
with a victory over the hated Illini and a bowl game.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!


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From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Mon Nov 12 19:41:12 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Mon Nov 12 19:31:53 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] FW: [Northwestern Sports] RE: Thoughts on the 2002
	Season
In-Reply-To: <665D924F98AC4CB19503CA875649CFDB@Eagle>
References: <665D924F98AC4CB19503CA875649CFDB@Eagle>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711121741tab66feav2573412e01fccb34@mail.gmail.com>

Good stat, but unfortunately the coaches don't have much to do with the
attendance numbers outside of the final record.  And this year's 'Cats have
a better record than 8 of the years listed there, so one may say that the
coaches have been pulling their weight (at least relative to previous years'
results).

This has been a problem that's been discussed for years - but now it must
finally be coming to a head.  NU has won at least 50% of its games this year
yet has the lowest attendance in a long, long time.  Something has to be
done, and it has to start at the top of the athletics department (Murphy) or
the university (Bienen).

We know the athletic dept. isn't running much of a deficit, but that's
mostly thanks to the Big Ten TV/bowl revenue, of which there is a lot.  In
any case a program can't flourish if the supporters aren't in the seats.

Jonathan

On Nov 12, 2007 6:50 PM, Chris and Lori Patterson <cp2m@enterprisesw.com>
wrote:

> Here's one email from 2002. Don't ask me why I saved it. I suppose because
> I
> found it interesting.
>
> Maybe it's time to add to the stats. And after the season, we need to get
> on
> and help the marketing department. Big Ten football regardless of the team
> should fill stadiums.
>
> Chris
> Go CATS!
>
> It's been a good year. Go for TWO more wins. Keep the Sweet Sioux!
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: charles.herron@exeloncorp.com [mailto:charles.herron@exeloncorp.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2002 12:11 PM
> To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
> Subject: [Northwestern Sports] RE: Thoughts on the 2002 Season
>
> It seems Mr. Rick Taylor left out one statistic from his 'vote of
> confidence' e-mail on RW.
>
> Year     Coach     Avg attendance
> 92        Barnett          32,989
> 93                            30,965
> 94                            34,382
> 95                            38,230
> 96                            42,310
> 97                            41,868
> 98                            40,907
> 99        Walker          30,845
> 00                            33,498
> 01                            33,763
> 02                            28,611   through 5 games
>
> It's anybody's guess how many fans will show up for the Illinois game -
> two
> 3-win teams, lousy weather, a few days before thanksgiving.
>
> Barnett      37,379 average
> Walker      31,679 average  (DOWN 15%)
>
> I will bet that Mr. Rick Taylor is very acquainted with this statistic,
> though.  We will probably finish with our worst attendance since the
> Francis
> Peay era.  And at $35 a ticket, we're down about $200,000 per game...down
> $1.2 million per season...a deficit of $4.8 million rung up during the RW
> era.  That can't be making Mr. Taylor very happy.  It can't be making
> big-money guys like Pat Ryan very happy either.  And on the heels of a
> 3-win
> season, will we see more erosion in the season-ticket base ?
>
> Chuck Herron   Tech '85
>
>
>
>
>
> ************************************************************************
> This e-mail and any of its attachments may contain Exelon Corporation
> proprietary information, which is privileged, confidential, or subject
> to copyright belonging to the Exelon Corporation family of Companies.
> This e-mail is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity
> to which it is addressed.  If you are not the intended recipient of this
> e-mail, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution,
> copying, or action taken in relation to the contents of and attachments
> to this e-mail is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.  If you have
> received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately and
> permanently delete the original and any copy of this e-mail and any
> printout. Thank You.
> ************************************************************************
>
>
> ==========
> To post messages to this list, send e-mail to: nwu-sports@tssi.com
> For list help, send e-mail to: nwu-sports-help@tssi.com
> For posting guidelines, send e-mail to: nwu-sports-info@tssi.com
> To unsubscribe from this list, send e-mail to:
> nwu-sports-unsubscribe@tssi.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From Hakirsch at aol.com  Mon Nov 12 19:42:00 2007
From: Hakirsch at aol.com (Hakirsch@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 12 19:33:27 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Define your terms
Message-ID: <bfe.25c18d4a.346a5ae8@aol.com>

In a message dated 11/12/2007 5:33:53 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
tbng@comcast.net writes:

> This is exactly what has gone wrong in college athletics
> during the past 40 years --win at all cost in the 2 major sports--This keeps
> alumni happy and brings in big bucks--but has led to incredible abuses-
> 
> Please list these "incredible abuses." 
> 
> 

Are you kidding me ???  

How about Chris Webber getting paid $350 K under the table to play at 
Michigan ?

How about having atheletes never show up for class and have their exams taken 
buy someone else ? 

How aboutaltering high school transcripts ?  How about atheletes who break 
all kinds of laws and social mores being given a pass because of their athletic 
abilities  ?   I describe these as incredible abuses --


Harry


**************************************
 See what's new at 
http://www.aol.com
From Hakirsch at aol.com  Mon Nov 12 19:50:01 2007
From: Hakirsch at aol.com (Hakirsch@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 12 19:41:32 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Define your terms
Message-ID: <bd8.215975c1.346a5cc9@aol.com>

By the way, I apologize for my bad spelling (and typing)--I was very anxious 
to pen a response, that I didn't do any proofing 

Harry


**************************************
 See what's new at 
http://www.aol.com
From jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com  Mon Nov 12 20:08:32 2007
From: jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com (Jeff Beamsley)
Date: Mon Nov 12 19:59:39 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <001a01c8258a$71b96870$552c3950$@com>
References: <c54.1dffa243.346a4078@aol.com>
	<001a01c8258a$71b96870$552c3950$@com>
Message-ID: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F05E9@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>

Roy,

Hey lighten up on my tech brother Chuck.

We tech guys aren't always known for tact, but if you want to solve hard
problems, you have to have folks who are analytical, persistent, and
passionate.  When it comes to NU sports, Chuck displays all of those
admirable qualities.  I don't always agree with his conclusions either, but I
welcome his posts and the detail and research that he provides to support his
positions.

As far Coach Walker is concerned, we all were shocked by his sudden passing,
but the nature of his death shouldn't result in his elevation to sainthood
(no disrespect intended to either RW or saints).  We have to be careful to
avoid the temptation to revise history in his honor.  His death didn't
automatically make him a better coach, it just made us all realize how short
life is an how we need to cherish those that are living it with us.

Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of Roy Lamberton
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 7:17 PM
To: CHerron604@aol.com; NEONRye@aol.com; johnadeg@comcast.net;
DPENDERG@aol.com; nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: RE: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...

I believe the saying is: "you can't go home again..." 

I'd love to see Dunbar back here, but I doubt it will happen - he wants to be
head coach again, that was obvious when he left and with his resume, I can't
see why he's not at a Div I program - in charge right now. Had he been here
when RW died, he'd probably be the head man right now.

As for the constant ripping of the assistants...

Jerry Brown is a long standing alum who just happens to be very good at
working with our young black athletes. His recruiting areas dictate how well
he recruits, but I know he's a presence in his areas.

McGee is turning into one of the better young OCs out there - I can see him
leaving for another school and being the absolute spread Guru, and all of you
nay sayers calling for Fitz head for letting him go.

Colby is doing the best job anyone can given the talent level. At most other
schools, our kids would just now be starting to play regularly, not start.
Our guys have been starting, getting hurt, and building strength for 3 years.
They are just now coming into their own.

I'm pretty sure that Colby will be moving on...Fitz will probably either take
the DC job himself or give it to one of the present assistants.

In any case, I wouldn't go out and do a wholesale housecleaning. Any top
assistant would pass on NU due to the academics. The guys we want are ones
who are on their way up who want the challenge of building an NU type
program. And given that Duke, Vandy and Stanford are all pretty stable right
now, maybe we'll have a shot at getting one - if there are openings.

Mr. Herron is an outspoken [and maybe monotonous] critic of the present
staff.
I'm sure we can find e-mails where he wanted to fire Walker too. Some people
always see the glass half empty.

rsl

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate
& sometime Unix Guru....
Computer Applications & Support Associates =============  Go Cats -? Beat 'em
All  ============= "You have a Republic Madam --
???? If you can keep it" - Benjamin Franklin
============================================


> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
> Behalf Of CHerron604@aol.com
> Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 6:49 PM
> To: NEONRye@aol.com; johnadeg@comcast.net; DPENDERG@aol.com; nwu-
> sports@tssi.com
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
> 
> I hate more than anything to be negative, especially this late in the
> season.  But it seems we are burdened constantly with coaches that can't
> coach,
> can't recruit, can't coordinate.  This probably has alot to do with
> terrible
> attendance at Dyche Stadium - it is not real enjoyable to watch as late
> 10-point
> leads evaporate in a flash, or as silly mistakes lead to penalties that
> are
> unwarrented in game #11, or as a team gets into the red zone, and can't
> fathom how to punch it in to the endzone (this was also a BIG problem in
> the  Duke
> game).  Fans of other football programs don't seem to have to deal  with
> all
> this coaching incompetence, and we should expect and demand  better.
> 
> We as a University would never build our Chemistry faculty, or the Cardiac
> Surgery staff at Northwestern Memorial in the same way we put together our
> coaching staffs, but we should - look for the best people out there
> (outstanding
> skills and integrity), and bring them in.  RW's passing was tragic, but if
> the head of the Philosophy Department passed, we would not tolerate two
> years
> of  departmental malaise.
> 
> PS - Could we hope that anybody on Central St. maybe has given Mike Dunbar
> a
> call ?  He was great as our OC, then he made 2 bad decisions - going to
> Cal
> (allegedly to be closer to his family), then separating from Cal - to come
> to
> hopeless/hapless Minnesota ?  I know he wants to be a head coach, but
> staying on the Gopher's sinking ship probably isn't going to help that
> hope.  Come
> back here, where you have had success.
> 
> Chuck Herron   Tech '85
> 
> 
> 
> ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports


_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
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From neonrye at aol.com  Mon Nov 12 20:17:55 2007
From: neonrye at aol.com (neonrye@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 12 20:09:25 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] FW: [Northwestern Sports] RE: Thoughts on the
	2002Season
In-Reply-To: <fcb3ee270711121741tab66feav2573412e01fccb34@mail.gmail.com>
References: <665D924F98AC4CB19503CA875649CFDB@Eagle><fcb3ee270711121741tab66feav2573412e01fccb34@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <1706158542-1194920277-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-10472338-@bxe016.bisx.prod.on.blackberry>

To change the subject a little and lighten the mood......

Great little note in Phil Mushnick's "Equal Time" column in today's NY POST:

"Where does ESPN find these guys?  With :44 left against Indiana on ESPN Classic, Northwestern took the lead, 31-28.  Analyst Jay Taylor then provided this overview of Northwestern kickoff team strategy:  "We cannot allow a touchdown, at this point in time, or al long run.". Who knew?"

I remember thinking at the time he said it what an inane comment.

Paul Levinson

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: "Jonathan Hodges" <jonathanwhodges@gmail.com>

Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 19:41:12 
To:cp2m@enterprisesw.com
Cc:nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] FW: [Northwestern Sports] RE: Thoughts on the 2002
	Season


Good stat, but unfortunately the coaches don't have much to do with the
attendance numbers outside of the final record.  And this year's 'Cats have
a better record than 8 of the years listed there, so one may say that the
coaches have been pulling their weight (at least relative to previous years'
results).

This has been a problem that's been discussed for years - but now it must
finally be coming to a head.  NU has won at least 50% of its games this year
yet has the lowest attendance in a long, long time.  Something has to be
done, and it has to start at the top of the athletics department (Murphy) or
the university (Bienen).

We know the athletic dept. isn't running much of a deficit, but that's
mostly thanks to the Big Ten TV/bowl revenue, of which there is a lot.  In
any case a program can't flourish if the supporters aren't in the seats.

Jonathan

On Nov 12, 2007 6:50 PM, Chris and Lori Patterson <cp2m@enterprisesw.com>
wrote:

> Here's one email from 2002. Don't ask me why I saved it. I suppose because
> I
> found it interesting.
>
> Maybe it's time to add to the stats. And after the season, we need to get
> on
> and help the marketing department. Big Ten football regardless of the team
> should fill stadiums.
>
> Chris
> Go CATS!
>
> It's been a good year. Go for TWO more wins. Keep the Sweet Sioux!
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: charles.herron@exeloncorp.com [mailto:charles.herron@exeloncorp.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2002 12:11 PM
> To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
> Subject: [Northwestern Sports] RE: Thoughts on the 2002 Season
>
> It seems Mr. Rick Taylor left out one statistic from his 'vote of
> confidence' e-mail on RW.
>
> Year     Coach     Avg attendance
> 92        Barnett          32,989
> 93                            30,965
> 94                            34,382
> 95                            38,230
> 96                            42,310
> 97                            41,868
> 98                            40,907
> 99        Walker          30,845
> 00                            33,498
> 01                            33,763
> 02                            28,611   through 5 games
>
> It's anybody's guess how many fans will show up for the Illinois game -
> two
> 3-win teams, lousy weather, a few days before thanksgiving.
>
> Barnett      37,379 average
> Walker      31,679 average  (DOWN 15%)
>
> I will bet that Mr. Rick Taylor is very acquainted with this statistic,
> though.  We will probably finish with our worst attendance since the
> Francis
> Peay era.  And at $35 a ticket, we're down about $200,000 per game...down
> $1.2 million per season...a deficit of $4.8 million rung up during the RW
> era.  That can't be making Mr. Taylor very happy.  It can't be making
> big-money guys like Pat Ryan very happy either.  And on the heels of a
> 3-win
> season, will we see more erosion in the season-ticket base ?
>
> Chuck Herron   Tech '85
>
>
>
>
>
> ************************************************************************
> This e-mail and any of its attachments may contain Exelon Corporation
> proprietary information, which is privileged, confidential, or subject
> to copyright belonging to the Exelon Corporation family of Companies.
> This e-mail is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity
> to which it is addressed.  If you are not the intended recipient of this
> e-mail, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution,
> copying, or action taken in relation to the contents of and attachments
> to this e-mail is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.  If you have
> received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately and
> permanently delete the original and any copy of this e-mail and any
> printout. Thank You.
> ************************************************************************
>
>
> ==========
> To post messages to this list, send e-mail to: nwu-sports@tssi.com
> For list help, send e-mail to: nwu-sports-help@tssi.com
> For posting guidelines, send e-mail to: nwu-sports-info@tssi.com
> To unsubscribe from this list, send e-mail to:
> nwu-sports-unsubscribe@tssi.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From neonrye at aol.com  Mon Nov 12 20:29:46 2007
From: neonrye at aol.com (neonrye@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 12 20:21:17 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F05E9@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>
References: <c54.1dffa243.346a4078@aol.com><001a01c8258a$71b96870$552c3950$@com><4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F05E9@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>
Message-ID: <2124983459-1194920989-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-67554108-@bxe016.bisx.prod.on.blackberry>

No disrespect to Fitz, but RW is looking better and better in hindsight.  We always got 60 minutes worth of second and third effort.  And he brought us a continuum of respect in the conference.  I always felt --except vs. OSU (and maybe Joe Pa) that we would be in the game until the end, regardless of the opponent.  We have that mindset with Fitz, but not to the same degree--yet.  Experience and a track record does count.

Paul Levinson
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: "Jeff Beamsley" <jeff.beamsley@hilgraeve.com>

Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 21:08:32 
To:<nwu-sports@tssi.com>
Subject: RE: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...


Roy,

Hey lighten up on my tech brother Chuck.

We tech guys aren't always known for tact, but if you want to solve hard
problems, you have to have folks who are analytical, persistent, and
passionate.  When it comes to NU sports, Chuck displays all of those
admirable qualities.  I don't always agree with his conclusions either, but I
welcome his posts and the detail and research that he provides to support his
positions.

As far Coach Walker is concerned, we all were shocked by his sudden passing,
but the nature of his death shouldn't result in his elevation to sainthood
(no disrespect intended to either RW or saints).  We have to be careful to
avoid the temptation to revise history in his honor.  His death didn't
automatically make him a better coach, it just made us all realize how short
life is an how we need to cherish those that are living it with us.

Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of Roy Lamberton
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 7:17 PM
To: CHerron604@aol.com; NEONRye@aol.com; johnadeg@comcast.net;
DPENDERG@aol.com; nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: RE: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...

I believe the saying is: "you can't go home again..." 

I'd love to see Dunbar back here, but I doubt it will happen - he wants to be
head coach again, that was obvious when he left and with his resume, I can't
see why he's not at a Div I program - in charge right now. Had he been here
when RW died, he'd probably be the head man right now.

As for the constant ripping of the assistants...

Jerry Brown is a long standing alum who just happens to be very good at
working with our young black athletes. His recruiting areas dictate how well
he recruits, but I know he's a presence in his areas.

McGee is turning into one of the better young OCs out there - I can see him
leaving for another school and being the absolute spread Guru, and all of you
nay sayers calling for Fitz head for letting him go.

Colby is doing the best job anyone can given the talent level. At most other
schools, our kids would just now be starting to play regularly, not start.
Our guys have been starting, getting hurt, and building strength for 3 years.
They are just now coming into their own.

I'm pretty sure that Colby will be moving on...Fitz will probably either take
the DC job himself or give it to one of the present assistants.

In any case, I wouldn't go out and do a wholesale housecleaning. Any top
assistant would pass on NU due to the academics. The guys we want are ones
who are on their way up who want the challenge of building an NU type
program. And given that Duke, Vandy and Stanford are all pretty stable right
now, maybe we'll have a shot at getting one - if there are openings.

Mr. Herron is an outspoken [and maybe monotonous] critic of the present
staff.
I'm sure we can find e-mails where he wanted to fire Walker too. Some people
always see the glass half empty.

rsl

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate
& sometime Unix Guru....
Computer Applications & Support Associates =============  Go Cats -? Beat 'em
All  ============= "You have a Republic Madam --
???? If you can keep it" - Benjamin Franklin
============================================


> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
> Behalf Of CHerron604@aol.com
> Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 6:49 PM
> To: NEONRye@aol.com; johnadeg@comcast.net; DPENDERG@aol.com; nwu-
> sports@tssi.com
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
> 
> I hate more than anything to be negative, especially this late in the
> season.  But it seems we are burdened constantly with coaches that can't
> coach,
> can't recruit, can't coordinate.  This probably has alot to do with
> terrible
> attendance at Dyche Stadium - it is not real enjoyable to watch as late
> 10-point
> leads evaporate in a flash, or as silly mistakes lead to penalties that
> are
> unwarrented in game #11, or as a team gets into the red zone, and can't
> fathom how to punch it in to the endzone (this was also a BIG problem in
> the  Duke
> game).  Fans of other football programs don't seem to have to deal  with
> all
> this coaching incompetence, and we should expect and demand  better.
> 
> We as a University would never build our Chemistry faculty, or the Cardiac
> Surgery staff at Northwestern Memorial in the same way we put together our
> coaching staffs, but we should - look for the best people out there
> (outstanding
> skills and integrity), and bring them in.  RW's passing was tragic, but if
> the head of the Philosophy Department passed, we would not tolerate two
> years
> of  departmental malaise.
> 
> PS - Could we hope that anybody on Central St. maybe has given Mike Dunbar
> a
> call ?  He was great as our OC, then he made 2 bad decisions - going to
> Cal
> (allegedly to be closer to his family), then separating from Cal - to come
> to
> hopeless/hapless Minnesota ?  I know he wants to be a head coach, but
> staying on the Gopher's sinking ship probably isn't going to help that
> hope.  Come
> back here, where you have had success.
> 
> Chuck Herron   Tech '85
> 
> 
> 
> ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
>_______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports


_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

_______________________________________________
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From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Mon Nov 12 21:46:34 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Mon Nov 12 21:36:59 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] PIGSKIN PICKS - Week 12
Message-ID: <488324.64149.qm@web52904.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

Hard to believe it's the end of the Big Ten season
already! Standings will be out soon, but first a look
at the lineup for week 12. It used to be that this was
the big weekend for big rivalries, but with other
leagues playing around with schedules to extend the
season, it's just the Big Ten trophy games that
highlight the slate. We even had to pick up that poor
old NBC JV contest to round off the slate.

PIGSKIN PICKS - WEEK 12
#######################
Name: 

BIG TEN
=======
Game  1: Purdue @ Indiana
Winner : 

Game  2: Western Michigan @ Iowa
Winner : 

Game  3: Ohio State @ Michigan
Winner : 

Game  4: Penn State @ Michigan State
Winner : 

Game  5: Wisconsin @ Minnesota
Winner : 

NATIONAL
========
Game  6: Kentucky @ Georgia
Winner : 

Game  7: West Virginia @ Cincinnati
Winner : 

Game  8: Boston College @ Clemson
Winner : 

Game  9: Oklahoma @ Texas Tech
Winner : 

Game 10: Duke @ Notre Dame
Winner : 

MY PICKS
========
* PURDUE 42, Indiana 31 - Should be a shootout in
Bloomington, but Tiller usually wins these games and
he needs it to save Purdue's season a bit. The
Hoosiers will make a game of it, but are still stunned
from last week's loss and fall short here.

* IOWA 30, Western Michigan 7 - The Hawkeyes complete
their turnaround with a solid win and bowl plans.

* OHIO STATE 21, Michigan 17 - I was ready to pick
Michigan all year to complete the nice comeback story
with Lloyd's swan song and all. But then both teams
lost last week and while Michigan will try their
hardest here, OSU won't lose two straight.

* PENN STATE 34, Michigan State 27 - This could be the
real dandy of the week. MSU may not be throwing in the
towel this year at the end, and they could head down
the road to Detroit with a win. But JoePa's team will
be ready as well and win this one to close out the
year.

* WISCONSIN 37, Minnesota 28 - This wouldn't be too
close in Madison, but on the Gophers make a game of it
for three quarters. 

* GEORGIA 45, Kentucky 31 - The Dawgs could be
cruising to a BCS berth while the Cats are free
falling out of the big bowl picture.

* WEST VIRGINIA 35, Cincinnati 21 - Too many people
like the upset here ... I'll go with the one proven
Big East winner.

* CLEMSON 28, Boston College 14 - Remember when the
Eagles were #2 in the country? Now they're not even #2
in their own division. Look out below!

* OKLAHOMA 47, Texas Tech 20 - Could the Sooners be
looking ahead? Naaah.

* NOTRE DAME 3, Duke 2 - Hey, somebody's gotta win.
This could be a painful display of offensive
offensiveness.

And off the board ...

* ILLINOIS 48, Northwestern 38 - Again, I hope I'm
wrong. But the Illini just have too much offense and
finally get the better of the Cats late.

Picks in by kickoff Saturday.
GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!


      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better sports nut!  Let your teams follow you 
with Yahoo Mobile. Try it now.  http://mobile.yahoo.com/sports;_ylt=At9_qDKvtAbMuh1G1SQtBI7ntAcJ

From rstetson at capps-assoc.com  Mon Nov 12 21:46:43 2007
From: rstetson at capps-assoc.com (Roy Lamberton)
Date: Mon Nov 12 21:48:20 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <2124983459-1194920989-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-67554108-@bxe016.bisx.prod.on.blackberry>
References: <c54.1dffa243.346a4078@aol.com><001a01c8258a$71b96870$552c3950$@com><4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F05E9@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>
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Fitz is going to be one of the great ones.

But he's still kicking his way out of the incubator - actually, I think this
year he's doing things better, and next year will be even better than last.

Both Fitz and I took over our respective teams last year. He was under .500, I
was 4-2. This year, he's at least 6-6, my kids were 0-5-1. 

The moral is that he's building on previous years, my previous year's class
graduated - they were 5-2 in middle school - and I'm back rebuilding. At least
Fitz doesn't have to start over next year.

rsl

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate
& sometime Unix Guru....
Computer Applications & Support Associates 
=============  Go Cats -? Beat 'em All  =============
"You have a Republic Madam --
???? If you can keep it" - Benjamin Franklin
============================================


> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
> Behalf Of neonrye@aol.com
> Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 9:30 PM
> To: Jeff Beamsley; nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com; nwu-sports@tssi.com
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
> 
> No disrespect to Fitz, but RW is looking better and better in hindsight.
> We always got 60 minutes worth of second and third effort.  And he brought
> us a continuum of respect in the conference.  I always felt --except vs.
> OSU (and maybe Joe Pa) that we would be in the game until the end,
> regardless of the opponent.  We have that mindset with Fitz, but not to the
> same degree--yet.  Experience and a track record does count.
> 
> Paul Levinson
> Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Jeff Beamsley" <jeff.beamsley@hilgraeve.com>
> 
> Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 21:08:32
> To:<nwu-sports@tssi.com>
> Subject: RE: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
> 
> 
> Roy,
> 
> Hey lighten up on my tech brother Chuck.
> 
> We tech guys aren't always known for tact, but if you want to solve hard
> problems, you have to have folks who are analytical, persistent, and
> passionate.  When it comes to NU sports, Chuck displays all of those
> admirable qualities.  I don't always agree with his conclusions either, but
> I
> welcome his posts and the detail and research that he provides to support
> his
> positions.
> 
> As far Coach Walker is concerned, we all were shocked by his sudden
> passing,
> but the nature of his death shouldn't result in his elevation to sainthood
> (no disrespect intended to either RW or saints).  We have to be careful to
> avoid the temptation to revise history in his honor.  His death didn't
> automatically make him a better coach, it just made us all realize how
> short
> life is an how we need to cherish those that are living it with us.
> 
> Jeff
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
> Behalf Of Roy Lamberton
> Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 7:17 PM
> To: CHerron604@aol.com; NEONRye@aol.com; johnadeg@comcast.net;
> DPENDERG@aol.com; nwu-sports@tssi.com
> Subject: RE: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
> 
> I believe the saying is: "you can't go home again..."
> 
> I'd love to see Dunbar back here, but I doubt it will happen - he wants to
> be
> head coach again, that was obvious when he left and with his resume, I
> can't
> see why he's not at a Div I program - in charge right now. Had he been here
> when RW died, he'd probably be the head man right now.
> 
> As for the constant ripping of the assistants...
> 
> Jerry Brown is a long standing alum who just happens to be very good at
> working with our young black athletes. His recruiting areas dictate how
> well
> he recruits, but I know he's a presence in his areas.
> 
> McGee is turning into one of the better young OCs out there - I can see him
> leaving for another school and being the absolute spread Guru, and all of
> you
> nay sayers calling for Fitz head for letting him go.
> 
> Colby is doing the best job anyone can given the talent level. At most
> other
> schools, our kids would just now be starting to play regularly, not start.
> Our guys have been starting, getting hurt, and building strength for 3
> years.
> They are just now coming into their own.
> 
> I'm pretty sure that Colby will be moving on...Fitz will probably either
> take
> the DC job himself or give it to one of the present assistants.
> 
> In any case, I wouldn't go out and do a wholesale housecleaning. Any top
> assistant would pass on NU due to the academics. The guys we want are ones
> who are on their way up who want the challenge of building an NU type
> program. And given that Duke, Vandy and Stanford are all pretty stable
> right
> now, maybe we'll have a shot at getting one - if there are openings.
> 
> Mr. Herron is an outspoken [and maybe monotonous] critic of the present
> staff.
> I'm sure we can find e-mails where he wanted to fire Walker too. Some
> people
> always see the glass half empty.
> 
> rsl
> 
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate
> & sometime Unix Guru....
> Computer Applications & Support Associates =============  Go Cats -? Beat
> 'em
> All  ============= "You have a Republic Madam --
> ???? If you can keep it" - Benjamin Franklin
> ============================================
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
> > Behalf Of CHerron604@aol.com
> > Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 6:49 PM
> > To: NEONRye@aol.com; johnadeg@comcast.net; DPENDERG@aol.com; nwu-
> > sports@tssi.com
> > Subject: Re: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
> >
> > I hate more than anything to be negative, especially this late in the
> > season.  But it seems we are burdened constantly with coaches that can't
> > coach,
> > can't recruit, can't coordinate.  This probably has alot to do with
> > terrible
> > attendance at Dyche Stadium - it is not real enjoyable to watch as late
> > 10-point
> > leads evaporate in a flash, or as silly mistakes lead to penalties that
> > are
> > unwarrented in game #11, or as a team gets into the red zone, and can't
> > fathom how to punch it in to the endzone (this was also a BIG problem in
> > the  Duke
> > game).  Fans of other football programs don't seem to have to deal  with
> > all
> > this coaching incompetence, and we should expect and demand  better.
> >
> > We as a University would never build our Chemistry faculty, or the
> Cardiac
> > Surgery staff at Northwestern Memorial in the same way we put together
> our
> > coaching staffs, but we should - look for the best people out there
> > (outstanding
> > skills and integrity), and bring them in.  RW's passing was tragic, but
> if
> > the head of the Philosophy Department passed, we would not tolerate two
> > years
> > of  departmental malaise.
> >
> > PS - Could we hope that anybody on Central St. maybe has given Mike
> Dunbar
> > a
> > call ?  He was great as our OC, then he made 2 bad decisions - going to
> > Cal
> > (allegedly to be closer to his family), then separating from Cal - to
> come
> > to
> > hopeless/hapless Minnesota ?  I know he wants to be a head coach, but
> > staying on the Gopher's sinking ship probably isn't going to help that
> > hope.  Come
> > back here, where you have had success.
> >
> > Chuck Herron   Tech '85
> >
> >
> >
> > ************************************** See what's new at
> http://www.aol.com
> >_______________________________________________
> > nwu-sports site list
> > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
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> 
> _______________________________________________
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> 
> _______________________________________________
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From tbng at comcast.net  Tue Nov 13 04:56:28 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Tue Nov 13 04:47:02 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Define your terms
References: <bfe.25c18d4a.346a5ae8@aol.com>
Message-ID: <000b01c825e3$d7f15360$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>

<Are you kidding me ???  

No, Harry, I'm quite serious.  I'm an historian.  I need evidence that the problem you allege is unique to, or especially egrigious in, college sports.  Anecdotes, unless accumulated in large quantites, are not definitive evidence.  I also need to see proof that the NCAA or individual institutions are sweeping known scandals under the carpet.

<How about Chris Webber getting paid $350 K under the table to play at Michigan ?

Chris Webber paid a penalty for breaking the law, and Michigan did as well.  Obviously their behavior was unacceptable to authorities.  You may recall that Maurice Clarett did not get away with his underhanded doings either, and neither did several Northwestern athletes.

<How about having atheletes never show up for class and have their exams taken buy someone else ? 

You mean no English major ever paid another student to take an exam or complete a project for him?  Please tell us the extent of this problem in college sports today.

<How about altering high school transcripts?

No chemistry major ever did that?  Are you accusing universities of having a general policy of altering transcripts to get athletes on their teams?  Do you believe that any university official caught doing such a thing would not be immediately fired and prosecuted?

<How about atheletes who break all kinds of laws and social mores being given a pass because of their athletic abilities?

Lord, man, you live in a city where breaking social mores and heaping incredible abuse on Judeo-Christian religions and the U.S. military (to name just two) is an every-minute experience.  The passes athletes seem to get for bad behavior frequently extend back to a player's Pop Warner and high school days.  As I recall, Joe Paterno cleaned out Austin Carr's locker the moment he heard the rape allegations and did not wait for the court decision.  If you are saying that mankind sometimes gives in to temptation, you're right.  If people had indomitable wills, rock stars would live sober, celibate lives, and San Francisco would be a conservative town.
 
From mlinhardt at netzero.net  Tue Nov 13 06:07:23 2007
From: mlinhardt at netzero.net (mlinhardt@netzero.net)
Date: Tue Nov 13 06:00:23 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <20071113.060723.23011.3@webmail02.dca.untd.com>

I am thinking Fitz remembers how hard RW pushed the workouts and is trying to be more buddy-buddy and has lightened the requirements.

He will learn balance avoiding offseason workouts that burn the players out and cause dissent.

Fitz still is only in his first FULL year of coaching.  He is both learning what HIS vision for Northwestern football is and adjusting the program to meet that vision.

-- neonrye@aol.com wrote:
No disrespect to Fitz, but RW is looking better and better in hindsight.  We always got 60 minutes worth of second and third effort.  And he brought us a continuum of respect in the conference.  I always felt --except vs. OSU (and maybe Joe Pa) that we would be in the game until the end, regardless of the opponent.  We have that mindset with Fitz, but not to the same degree--yet.  Experience and a track record does count.

Paul Levinson
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: "Jeff Beamsley" <jeff.beamsley@hilgraeve.com>

Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 21:08:32 
To:<nwu-sports@tssi.com>
Subject: RE: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...


Roy,

Hey lighten up on my tech brother Chuck.

We tech guys aren't always known for tact, but if you want to solve hard
problems, you have to have folks who are analytical, persistent, and
passionate.  When it comes to NU sports, Chuck displays all of those
admirable qualities.  I don't always agree with his conclusions either, but I
welcome his posts and the detail and research that he provides to support his
positions.

As far Coach Walker is concerned, we all were shocked by his sudden passing,
but the nature of his death shouldn't result in his elevation to sainthood
(no disrespect intended to either RW or saints).  We have to be careful to
avoid the temptation to revise history in his honor.  His death didn't
automatically make him a better coach, it just made us all realize how short
life is an how we need to cherish those that are living it with us.

Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of Roy Lamberton
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 7:17 PM
To: CHerron604@aol.com; NEONRye@aol.com; johnadeg@comcast.net;
DPENDERG@aol.com; nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: RE: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...

I believe the saying is: "you can't go home again..." 

I'd love to see Dunbar back here, but I doubt it will happen - he wants to be
head coach again, that was obvious when he left and with his resume, I can't
see why he's not at a Div I program - in charge right now. Had he been here
when RW died, he'd probably be the head man right now.

As for the constant ripping of the assistants...

Jerry Brown is a long standing alum who just happens to be very good at
working with our young black athletes. His recruiting areas dictate how well
he recruits, but I know he's a presence in his areas.

McGee is turning into one of the better young OCs out there - I can see him
leaving for another school and being the absolute spread Guru, and all of you
nay sayers calling for Fitz head for letting him go.

Colby is doing the best job anyone can given the talent level. At most other
schools, our kids would just now be starting to play regularly, not start.
Our guys have been starting, getting hurt, and building strength for 3 years.
They are just now coming into their own.

I'm pretty sure that Colby will be moving on...Fitz will probably either take
the DC job himself or give it to one of the present assistants.

In any case, I wouldn't go out and do a wholesale housecleaning. Any top
assistant would pass on NU due to the academics. The guys we want are ones
who are on their way up who want the challenge of building an NU type
program. And given that Duke, Vandy and Stanford are all pretty stable right
now, maybe we'll have a shot at getting one - if there are openings.

Mr. Herron is an outspoken [and maybe monotonous] critic of the present
staff.
I'm sure we can find e-mails where he wanted to fire Walker too. Some people
always see the glass half empty.

rsl

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate
& sometime Unix Guru....
Computer Applications & Support Associates =============  Go Cats -  Beat 'em
All  ============= "You have a Republic Madam --
     If you can keep it" - Benjamin Franklin
============================================


> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
> Behalf Of CHerron604@aol.com
> Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 6:49 PM
> To: NEONRye@aol.com; johnadeg@comcast.net; DPENDERG@aol.com; nwu-
> sports@tssi.com
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
> 
> I hate more than anything to be negative, especially this late in the
> season.  But it seems we are burdened constantly with coaches that can't
> coach,
> can't recruit, can't coordinate.  This probably has alot to do with
> terrible
> attendance at Dyche Stadium - it is not real enjoyable to watch as late
> 10-point
> leads evaporate in a flash, or as silly mistakes lead to penalties that
> are
> unwarrented in game #11, or as a team gets into the red zone, and can't
> fathom how to punch it in to the endzone (this was also a BIG problem in
> the  Duke
> game).  Fans of other football programs don't seem to have to deal  with
> all
> this coaching incompetence, and we should expect and demand  better.
> 
> We as a University would never build our Chemistry faculty, or the Cardiac
> Surgery staff at Northwestern Memorial in the same way we put together our
> coaching staffs, but we should - look for the best people out there
> (outstanding
> skills and integrity), and bring them in.  RW's passing was tragic, but if
> the head of the Philosophy Department passed, we would not tolerate two
> years
> of  departmental malaise.
> 
> PS - Could we hope that anybody on Central St. maybe has given Mike Dunbar
> a
> call ?  He was great as our OC, then he made 2 bad decisions - going to
> Cal
> (allegedly to be closer to his family), then separating from Cal - to come
> to
> hopeless/hapless Minnesota ?  I know he wants to be a head coach, but
> staying on the Gopher's sinking ship probably isn't going to help that
> hope.  Come
> back here, where you have had success.
> 
> Chuck Herron   Tech '85
> 
> 
> 
> ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
>_______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports


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From DPENDERG at aol.com  Tue Nov 13 06:58:46 2007
From: DPENDERG at aol.com (DPENDERG@aol.com)
Date: Tue Nov 13 06:50:35 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <ce6.20200853.346af986@aol.com>

 
Even before Saturday's game in Champaign -- and I sense most think the  Cats 
will probably lose against a very fast, highly skilled Illini team  
(regardless of their recruiting origins) -- we see the beginnings of the "well,  6-6 is 
not so bad" mantra that reinforces Northwestern second-tier program  status.  
For some of us, however, we reject low expectations and will not  neglect the 
glaring fact that an absolutely indefensible loss to Duke prevented  both a 
7-5 record and a bowl game.  That horrific loss had absolutely  nothing to do 
with the loss of Randy Walker, Sutton or  Brewer.  Continued absence of a bowl 
game should not be  underestimated in terms of both recruiting impact and 
additional team  preparation for the following season.  Duke was more than just a  
passing nightmare.  We will shoulder the consequences of that loss for  months.
 
I hope in fact the Duke loss will be an  instructive, motivating lesson for 
2008 season.  With so much talent  returning, the Cats open with four 
non-conference games (three at home):   Syracuse, Duke, Southern Illinois and Ohio U.  
All winnable games.   Starting on Sunday, the Cat coaches and teams should be 
working to start the  season at 4-0 and then move into the Big Ten season with 
confidence and  momentum.  None of this low-expectations sickness about NU  
"inevitably" losing easy non-conference games.  If NU wants to graduate  into 
the top tier of Big Ten and D-IA programs, we must put aside modest  
expectations, under-performing displays, and squandered leads and opportunities  in the 
fourth quarter.  No, I am not satisfied with 6-6 and hope the Cat  coaches and 
players aren't either. 
 
 
In a message dated 11/12/2007 6:10:31 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
mlinhardt@netzero.net writes:

Great  post.

Football regardless of the results next week was a decent  season.  Not what 
I wanted(8-4), but not 4-8 either.  To lose your  best defender(Smith) and 
most exciting "offensive surprise" weapon(Brewer)  before the season and your 
most proflic offensive threat(Sutton) for 5 games  and still manage to have AT 
LEAST a .500 season is  impressive.

Basketball on the other hand could be really, really  sad.  We are going to 
the Stanford game on Wednesday.  What I am  most excited about in regards to 
the game is the Fast Break Club reception  before the game, because Fitz is 
speaking.  Other than that I am more  pessimistic about bball than any time since 
I arrived at Northwestern in  '89.  Anything other than 0-18 in conference and 
Carmody will have done a  masterful coaching job.  Btw I am not bashing the 
players as they are all  well-spoken and good representatives of the 
university, but as basketball  players...

Sweet Sioux Stays!
-- NEONRye@aol.com wrote:
Boy,  between John and Chuck, I'm so depressed about NU football and hoops I  
 
think I may find a new alma mater to root for.:-)

Seriously, I was  as upset as anyone about losing to Duke, which was an  
unfathomable  result. 

On the other hand, this constant litany of complaints is  getting very "old"  
and monotonous--it's a funeral dirge at this  point.   This certainly  isn't 
the worse year we ever had,  and we have to still remember that the tragic  
loss 
of Coach Walker  set back the program in ways that will resound for at least  
another  couple of years.

So can we lighten up please--at least a  little?

Paul  Levinson



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From johnadeg at comcast.net  Tue Nov 13 07:26:40 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Tue Nov 13 07:17:09 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <111320071326.14361.4739A610000E464D000038192216549976090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

Everyone is free to live in a fool's paradise if they so chose.

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: NEONRye@aol.com
> Boy, between John and Chuck, I'm so depressed about NU football and hoops I  
> think I may find a new alma mater to root for.:-)
>  
> Seriously, I was as upset as anyone about losing to Duke, which was an  
> unfathomable result. 
>  
> On the other hand, this constant litany of complaints is getting very "old"  
> and monotonous--it's a funeral dirge at this point.   This certainly  isn't 
> the worse year we ever had, and we have to still remember that the tragic  loss 
> of Coach Walker set back the program in ways that will resound for at least  
> another couple of years.
>  
> So can we lighten up please--at least a little?
>  
> Paul Levinson
> 
> 
> 
> ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com


From johnadeg at comcast.net  Tue Nov 13 07:46:15 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Tue Nov 13 07:36:46 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] FW: [Northwestern Sports] RE: Thoughts on the 2002
	Season
Message-ID: <111320071346.13209.4739AAA6000EF0B1000033992216549976090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

NU's athletic department needs an aggressive PR department  to promote the football and basketball program.  Admittedly there is a lot more to work with with the football program than the BB one.  At this point NU doesn't even have a coach's program as far as I know.  There is no reason that we can't have one on the Big Ten Network, but it takes some work.  

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Jonathan Hodges" <jonathanwhodges@gmail.com>
> Good stat, but unfortunately the coaches don't have much to do with the
> attendance numbers outside of the final record.  And this year's 'Cats have
> a better record than 8 of the years listed there, so one may say that the
> coaches have been pulling their weight (at least relative to previous years'
> results).
> 
> This has been a problem that's been discussed for years - but now it must
> finally be coming to a head.  NU has won at least 50% of its games this year
> yet has the lowest attendance in a long, long time.  Something has to be
> done, and it has to start at the top of the athletics department (Murphy) or
> the university (Bienen).
> 
> We know the athletic dept. isn't running much of a deficit, but that's
> mostly thanks to the Big Ten TV/bowl revenue, of which there is a lot.  In
> any case a program can't flourish if the supporters aren't in the seats.
> 
> Jonathan
> 
> On Nov 12, 2007 6:50 PM, Chris and Lori Patterson <cp2m@enterprisesw.com>
> wrote:
> 
> > Here's one email from 2002. Don't ask me why I saved it. I suppose because
> > I
> > found it interesting.
> >
> > Maybe it's time to add to the stats. And after the season, we need to get
> > on
> > and help the marketing department. Big Ten football regardless of the team
> > should fill stadiums.
> >
> > Chris
> > Go CATS!
> >
> > It's been a good year. Go for TWO more wins. Keep the Sweet Sioux!
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: charles.herron@exeloncorp.com [mailto:charles.herron@exeloncorp.com]
> > Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2002 12:11 PM
> > To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > Subject: [Northwestern Sports] RE: Thoughts on the 2002 Season
> >
> > It seems Mr. Rick Taylor left out one statistic from his 'vote of
> > confidence' e-mail on RW.
> >
> > Year     Coach     Avg attendance
> > 92        Barnett          32,989
> > 93                            30,965
> > 94                            34,382
> > 95                            38,230
> > 96                            42,310
> > 97                            41,868
> > 98                            40,907
> > 99        Walker          30,845
> > 00                            33,498
> > 01                            33,763
> > 02                            28,611   through 5 games
> >
> > It's anybody's guess how many fans will show up for the Illinois game -
> > two
> > 3-win teams, lousy weather, a few days before thanksgiving.
> >
> > Barnett      37,379 average
> > Walker      31,679 average  (DOWN 15%)
> >
> > I will bet that Mr. Rick Taylor is very acquainted with this statistic,
> > though.  We will probably finish with our worst attendance since the
> > Francis
> > Peay era.  And at $35 a ticket, we're down about $200,000 per game...down
> > $1.2 million per season...a deficit of $4.8 million rung up during the RW
> > era.  That can't be making Mr. Taylor very happy.  It can't be making
> > big-money guys like Pat Ryan very happy either.  And on the heels of a
> > 3-win
> > season, will we see more erosion in the season-ticket base ?
> >
> > Chuck Herron   Tech '85
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ************************************************************************
> > This e-mail and any of its attachments may contain Exelon Corporation
> > proprietary information, which is privileged, confidential, or subject
> > to copyright belonging to the Exelon Corporation family of Companies.
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> > received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately and
> > permanently delete the original and any copy of this e-mail and any
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> > ************************************************************************
> >
> >
> > ==========
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> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Jonathan W. Hodges
> 1237 Emerson St Apt 2
> Evanston, IL  60201-3577
> (847) 736-2449
> jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
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From tbng at comcast.net  Tue Nov 13 07:53:43 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Tue Nov 13 07:44:16 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
References: <ce6.20200853.346af986@aol.com>
Message-ID: <000d01c825fc$9ac69130$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>

<I hope in fact the Duke loss will be an  instructive, motivating lesson for
2008 season.

So do we all.  Problem is, there has been Duke-type loss every year since 
and including '95, none of which seem to have been "instructive." 

From johnadeg at comcast.net  Tue Nov 13 07:54:49 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Tue Nov 13 07:45:20 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <111320071354.9293.4739ACA9000B11320000244D2216549976090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

In defense of Herron, under Walker, NU.s defense was always at the bottom of Div. IA which probably reflected his minimal interest in defense.  But, there is no point in rapping on either Walker or Barnett, it's like pissing in your pants to keep warm in the winter.
John DeGroat

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Roy Lamberton" <rstetson@capps-assoc.com>
> I believe the saying is: "you can't go home again..." 
> 
> I'd love to see Dunbar back here, but I doubt it will happen - he wants to be
> head coach again, that was obvious when he left and with his resume, I can't see
> why he's not at a Div I program - in charge right now. Had he been here when RW
> died, he'd probably be the head man right now.
> 
> As for the constant ripping of the assistants...
> 
> Jerry Brown is a long standing alum who just happens to be very good at working
> with our young black athletes. His recruiting areas dictate how well he
> recruits, but I know he's a presence in his areas.
> 
> McGee is turning into one of the better young OCs out there - I can see him
> leaving for another school and being the absolute spread Guru, and all of you
> nay sayers calling for Fitz head for letting him go.
> 
> Colby is doing the best job anyone can given the talent level. At most other
> schools, our kids would just now be starting to play regularly, not start. Our
> guys have been starting, getting hurt, and building strength for 3 years. They
> are just now coming into their own.
> 
> I'm pretty sure that Colby will be moving on...Fitz will probably either take
> the DC job himself or give it to one of the present assistants.
> 
> In any case, I wouldn't go out and do a wholesale housecleaning. Any top
> assistant would pass on NU due to the academics. The guys we want are ones who
> are on their way up who want the challenge of building an NU type program. And
> given that Duke, Vandy and Stanford are all pretty stable right now, maybe we'll
> have a shot at getting one - if there are openings.
> 
> Mr. Herron is an outspoken [and maybe monotonous] critic of the present staff.
> I'm sure we can find e-mails where he wanted to fire Walker too. Some people
> always see the glass half empty.
> 
> rsl
> 
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate
> & sometime Unix Guru....
> Computer Applications & Support Associates 
> =============  Go Cats -  Beat 'em All  =============
> "You have a Republic Madam --
>      If you can keep it" - Benjamin Franklin
> ============================================
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
> > Behalf Of CHerron604@aol.com
> > Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 6:49 PM
> > To: NEONRye@aol.com; johnadeg@comcast.net; DPENDERG@aol.com; nwu-
> > sports@tssi.com
> > Subject: Re: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
> > 
> > I hate more than anything to be negative, especially this late in the
> > season.  But it seems we are burdened constantly with coaches that can't
> > coach,
> > can't recruit, can't coordinate.  This probably has alot to do with
> > terrible
> > attendance at Dyche Stadium - it is not real enjoyable to watch as late
> > 10-point
> > leads evaporate in a flash, or as silly mistakes lead to penalties that
> > are
> > unwarrented in game #11, or as a team gets into the red zone, and can't
> > fathom how to punch it in to the endzone (this was also a BIG problem in
> > the  Duke
> > game).  Fans of other football programs don't seem to have to deal  with
> > all
> > this coaching incompetence, and we should expect and demand  better.
> > 
> > We as a University would never build our Chemistry faculty, or the Cardiac
> > Surgery staff at Northwestern Memorial in the same way we put together our
> > coaching staffs, but we should - look for the best people out there
> > (outstanding
> > skills and integrity), and bring them in.  RW's passing was tragic, but if
> > the head of the Philosophy Department passed, we would not tolerate two
> > years
> > of  departmental malaise.
> > 
> > PS - Could we hope that anybody on Central St. maybe has given Mike Dunbar
> > a
> > call ?  He was great as our OC, then he made 2 bad decisions - going to
> > Cal
> > (allegedly to be closer to his family), then separating from Cal - to come
> > to
> > hopeless/hapless Minnesota ?  I know he wants to be a head coach, but
> > staying on the Gopher's sinking ship probably isn't going to help that
> > hope.  Come
> > back here, where you have had success.
> > 
> > Chuck Herron   Tech '85
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
> > _______________________________________________
> > nwu-sports site list
> > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> 

From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Tue Nov 13 08:00:48 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Tue Nov 13 07:52:11 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <ce6.20200853.346af986@aol.com>
References: <ce6.20200853.346af986@aol.com>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711130600w34f3038br1c31f3b3576358a4@mail.gmail.com>

I'm not ready to write off the game on Saturday like many on this board...
Illinois is a strong team but hardly invincible (ask Iowa), NU needs to play
solid defense and take advantage of the offensive opportunities (which the
'Cats will have plenty of).  Sure, the Duke loss has hurt, and so have the 3
blown 4th quarter leads, but there is still one game left in the 2007
season.  I know many nay-sayers basically gave up on the 'Cats after Sept.
15, but NU has come a long way since then.

Oh, and for reference, the last time NU had a brand new head coach this
young he was 1-21-1 after 23 games, while Fitz is 10-13.  Obviously the
circumstances are a little different, but the fact is that Fitz didn't come
in with a team stocked and ready to win 9 games year in and year out.  We
all want the 'Cats to be successful, me just as much as everyone else, but
the fact is that Northwestern is not another football factory and will never
be.  But what you can do is take pride in every Wildcat victory, and
fortunately we've had 6 chances to do that thus far in 2007.

Jonathan

On Nov 13, 2007 6:58 AM, <DPENDERG@aol.com> wrote:

>
> Even before Saturday's game in Champaign -- and I sense most think the
>  Cats
> will probably lose against a very fast, highly skilled Illini team
> (regardless of their recruiting origins) -- we see the beginnings of the
> "well,  6-6 is
> not so bad" mantra that reinforces Northwestern second-tier program
>  status.
> For some of us, however, we reject low expectations and will not  neglect
> the
> glaring fact that an absolutely indefensible loss to Duke prevented  both
> a
> 7-5 record and a bowl game.  That horrific loss had absolutely  nothing to
> do
> with the loss of Randy Walker, Sutton or  Brewer.  Continued absence of a
> bowl
> game should not be  underestimated in terms of both recruiting impact and
> additional team  preparation for the following season.  Duke was more than
> just a
> passing nightmare.  We will shoulder the consequences of that loss for
>  months.
>
> I hope in fact the Duke loss will be an  instructive, motivating lesson
> for
> 2008 season.  With so much talent  returning, the Cats open with four
> non-conference games (three at home):   Syracuse, Duke, Southern Illinois
> and Ohio U.
> All winnable games.   Starting on Sunday, the Cat coaches and teams should
> be
> working to start the  season at 4-0 and then move into the Big Ten season
> with
> confidence and  momentum.  None of this low-expectations sickness about NU
> "inevitably" losing easy non-conference games.  If NU wants to graduate
>  into
> the top tier of Big Ten and D-IA programs, we must put aside modest
> expectations, under-performing displays, and squandered leads and
> opportunities  in the
> fourth quarter.  No, I am not satisfied with 6-6 and hope the Cat  coaches
> and
> players aren't either.
>
>
> In a message dated 11/12/2007 6:10:31 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> mlinhardt@netzero.net writes:
>
> Great  post.
>
> Football regardless of the results next week was a decent  season.  Not
> what
> I wanted(8-4), but not 4-8 either.  To lose your  best defender(Smith) and
> most exciting "offensive surprise" weapon(Brewer)  before the season and
> your
> most proflic offensive threat(Sutton) for 5 games  and still manage to
> have AT
> LEAST a .500 season is  impressive.
>
> Basketball on the other hand could be really, really  sad.  We are going
> to
> the Stanford game on Wednesday.  What I am  most excited about in regards
> to
> the game is the Fast Break Club reception  before the game, because Fitz
> is
> speaking.  Other than that I am more  pessimistic about bball than any
> time since
> I arrived at Northwestern in  '89.  Anything other than 0-18 in conference
> and
> Carmody will have done a  masterful coaching job.  Btw I am not bashing
> the
> players as they are all  well-spoken and good representatives of the
> university, but as basketball  players...
>
> Sweet Sioux Stays!
> -- NEONRye@aol.com wrote:
> Boy,  between John and Chuck, I'm so depressed about NU football and hoops
> I
>
> think I may find a new alma mater to root for.:-)
>
> Seriously, I was  as upset as anyone about losing to Duke, which was an
> unfathomable  result.
>
> On the other hand, this constant litany of complaints is  getting very
> "old"
> and monotonous--it's a funeral dirge at this  point.   This certainly
>  isn't
> the worse year we ever had,  and we have to still remember that the tragic
> loss
> of Coach Walker  set back the program in ways that will resound for at
> least
> another  couple of years.
>
> So can we lighten up please--at least a  little?
>
> Paul  Levinson
>
>
>
> ************************************** See what's new  at
> http://www.aol.com
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>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ************************************** See what's new at
> http://www.aol.com
> _______________________________________________
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>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From Hakirsch at aol.com  Tue Nov 13 08:09:54 2007
From: Hakirsch at aol.com (Hakirsch@aol.com)
Date: Tue Nov 13 08:01:20 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Define your terms
Message-ID: <c07.23b38fe1.346b0a32@aol.com>

In a message dated 11/13/2007 2:57:26 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
tbng@comcast.net writes:

> <Are you kidding me ???  

> 
> No, Harry, I'm quite serious.  I'm an historian.  I need evidence that the 
> problem you allege is unique to, or especially egrigious in, college sports.  
> Anecdotes, unless accumulated in large quantites, are not definitive 
> evidence.  I also need to see proof that the NCAA or individual institutions are 
> sweeping known scandals under the carpet.
> 
> <How about Chris Webber getting paid $350 K under the table to play at 
> Michigan ?
> 
> Chris Webber paid a penalty for breaking the law, and Michigan did as well.  
> Obviously their behavior was unacceptable to authorities.  You may recall 
> that Maurice Clarett did not get away with his underhanded doings either, and 
> neither did several Northwestern athletes.
> 
> <How about having atheletes never show up for class and have their exams 
> taken buy someone else ? 
> 
> You mean no English major ever paid another student to take an exam or 
> complete a project for him?  Please tell us the extent of this problem in college 
> sports today.
> 
> <How about altering high school transcripts?
> 
> No chemistry major ever did that?  Are you accusing universities of having a 
> general policy of altering transcripts to get athletes on their teams?  Do 
> you believe that any university official caught doing such a thing would not 
> be immediately fired and prosecuted?
> 
> <How about atheletes who break all kinds of laws and social mores being 
> given a pass because of their athletic abilities?
> 
> Lord, man, you live in a city where breaking social mores and heaping 
> incredible abuse on Judeo-Christian religions and the U.S. military (to name just 
> two) is an every-minute experience.  The passes athletes seem to get for bad 
> behavior frequently extend back to a player's Pop Warner and high school days. 
>  As I recall, Joe Paterno cleaned out Austin Carr's locker the moment he 
> heard the rape allegations and did not wait for the court decision.  If you are 
> saying that mankind sometimes gives in to temptation, you're right.  If 
> people had indomitable wills, rock stars would live sober, celibate lives, and San 
> Francisco would be a conservative town.
> 
> 

I call these abuses--perhaps you do not--that's your choice.  And I contend 
that no one would pay Chris Webber $350 K  to attend Michigan if college 
basketball wasn't so profitable --The fact that he paid some price for it doesn't 
negate in my mind that is an incredible abuse .  

No I am not accusing universities of having a general policy of altering 
transcripts, or passing kids who don't attend classes--But there are myriad of 
examples of this occurring--Again, I would define these as incredible abuses due 
to the high payoffs of intercollegiate football and basketball

When I was  the high school sports editor of the school newspaper, I wrote a  
piece that told of one  basketball player transferring from one college to 
another and 6 months later his former school had him getting 3 C's and a D for 
the semester that he want even enrolled--obviously no one knew he had left 
school, yet still he obtained passing grades !  --Perhaps you don't think this is 
abusive or would have occurred anyways without collegiate basketball being a 
big time money maker, but I don't

Harry





**************************************
 See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From Hakirsch at aol.com  Tue Nov 13 08:53:14 2007
From: Hakirsch at aol.com (Hakirsch@aol.com)
Date: Tue Nov 13 08:48:15 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <c10.221c6f8e.346b145a@aol.com>

In a message dated 11/13/2007 5:03:06 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
DPENDERG@aol.com writes:

> For some of us, however, we reject low expectations and will not  neglect 
> the 
> glaring fact that an absolutely indefensible loss to Duke prevented  both a 
> 7-5 record and a bowl game.  

Of course we should have beaten Duke--But we won quite a few games this year 
that we easily could have lost- and could esily be looking at a 4-8 season-So 
let's no harp on one game--let's look at  the overall season --I am 
disappointed --we didn't beat any good teams and are only likely to be 6-6  becuase we 
had a very soft non-conference schedule.(or perhaps 6-7 if we luck out and go 
to a bowl , but lose) 

But if these past 2 years are our "down year"s and are attributed to 
re-builidng then I am fine with it.  Remember during the Sun Bowl year, we won a few 
games we had no business winning (Iowa at the top of the list) and lost a QB 
who went pro( first time in nearly 25 years that an NU QB wound up in the 
NFL)--What this suggests is that not only were we probably not a real strong 9-4 
team, but we were going to have a tough time re-building even under Walker

Give Fitz and his staff a chance--  (but don't get me started on hoops !)

Harry


**************************************
 See what's new at 
http://www.aol.com
From tbng at comcast.net  Tue Nov 13 10:19:01 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Tue Nov 13 10:09:35 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Define your terms
References: <c07.23b38fe1.346b0a32@aol.com>
Message-ID: <000d01c82610$e7208720$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>

It isn't a matter of finding a Chris Webber-like (or Dion Lee-like) incident abusive or not.  "Abuse" implies a repeated and systematic pattern of behavior, which further implies that universities routinely turn a blind eye to such events just to make money.  I don't see the evidence for that.  "Abuse" would be appropriate if Michigan had found out about Webber's behavior (or Northwestern Dion Lee's) and had done nothing about it.  
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Hakirsch@aol.com 
  To: tbng@comcast.net ; nwu-sports@tssi.com 
  Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 9:09 AM
  Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Define your terms


  In a message dated 11/13/2007 2:57:26 AM Pacific Standard Time, tbng@comcast.net writes:


    <Are you kidding me ???  

    No, Harry, I'm quite serious.  I'm an historian.  I need evidence that the problem you allege is unique to, or especially egrigious in, college sports.  Anecdotes, unless accumulated in large quantites, are not definitive evidence.  I also need to see proof that the NCAA or individual institutions are sweeping known scandals under the carpet.

    <How about Chris Webber getting paid $350 K under the table to play at Michigan ?

    Chris Webber paid a penalty for breaking the law, and Michigan did as well.  Obviously their behavior was unacceptable to authorities.  You may recall that Maurice Clarett did not get away with his underhanded doings either, and neither did several Northwestern athletes.

    <How about having atheletes never show up for class and have their exams taken buy someone else ? 

    You mean no English major ever paid another student to take an exam or complete a project for him?  Please tell us the extent of this problem in college sports today.

    <How about altering high school transcripts?

    No chemistry major ever did that?  Are you accusing universities of having a general policy of altering transcripts to get athletes on their teams?  Do you believe that any university official caught doing such a thing would not be immediately fired and prosecuted?

    <How about atheletes who break all kinds of laws and social mores being given a pass because of their athletic abilities?

    Lord, man, you live in a city where breaking social mores and heaping incredible abuse on Judeo-Christian religions and the U.S. military (to name just two) is an every-minute experience.  The passes athletes seem to get for bad behavior frequently extend back to a player's Pop Warner and high school days.  As I recall, Joe Paterno cleaned out Austin Carr's locker the moment he heard the rape allegations and did not wait for the court decision.  If you are saying that mankind sometimes gives in to temptation, you're right.  If people had indomitable wills, rock stars would live sober, celibate lives, and San Francisco would be a conservative town.




  I call these abuses--perhaps you do not--that's your choice.  And I contend that no one would pay Chris Webber $350 K  to attend Michigan if college basketball wasn't so profitable --The fact that he paid some price for it doesn't negate in my mind that is an incredible abuse .  

  No I am not accusing universities of having a general policy of altering transcripts, or passing kids who don't attend classes--But there are myriad of examples of this occurring--Again, I would define these as incredible abuses due to the high payoffs of intercollegiate football and basketball

  When I was  the high school sports editor of the school newspaper, I wrote a  piece that told of one  basketball player transferring from one college to another and 6 months later his former school had him getting 3 C's and a D for the semester that he want even enrolled--obviously no one knew he had left school, yet still he obtained passing grades !  --Perhaps you don't think this is abusive or would have occurred anyways without collegiate basketball being a big time money maker, but I don't

  Harry





  **************************************
  See what's new at http://www.aol.com 
From WildElk2 at aol.com  Tue Nov 13 18:25:32 2007
From: WildElk2 at aol.com (WildElk2@aol.com)
Date: Tue Nov 13 18:17:10 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <c2e.210d7388.346b9a7c@aol.com>

First of all, my beloved Cats pleasantly surprised me, as I  forecasted a 
loss vs. Indiana, after predicting a win vs. Iowa.
  I agree with Jonathon Hodge's assessment that any talk about a "year  in 
review" should be shelved until the appropriate time.  The only team  that 
handed us our ass was OSU, and I doubt that will be in vogue this  weekend.  I 
predict a tense, nail-biting affair.  
   Let's look at Illinois.  We did a commendable job  defensing Hart, so we 
have it in us to slow down their running game.  I  know it will come at a cost, 
and Alan A. made a good point; will they  repetitively throw deep?  Fact is, 
when Iowa cut their usual rushing  yardage in half,  it got them out of their 
element.  We contained  Lewis, and he had an NFL receiver to throw to (Hardy). 
 But as we know,  Indiana couldn't run the ball, Illinois can.
   On Illinois's web site,  even by their own admission they  have a bend, 
but don't break defense.   If we can pop a couple of TD's  early and get them 
out of doing what they do best; running the ball, we can get  Juice to beat us 
with his arm, which he won't.  Keep in mind, Juice has  been benched this 
season.
   One thing I need to get off my chest.  Ron Zook has done  a terrific job 
in getting a traditionally losing program up and running.   Unlike Ron Turner, 
who was a classless dolt, he's done it with enthusiasm and an  unwavering 
belief that he and his coaches would get things turned around.   It saddens me 
that on this list there have been questions concerning the  legitimacy of his 
recruiting techniques.  Where did you read that, from the  Jaybird at the 
Sun-Times?  He's done a helluva job; give the man his  props.  Remember, in Zook's 
first season, his good friend Randy Walker told  him to "enjoy these days."  
(2005)  Didn't Zook speak at RW's  funeral?  Zook's worked hard to get his team 
up fron the bottom of the  conference; don't fault him for it.
 
                  GO  CATS!!!               Eric
   
   



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From thehaze at earthlink.net  Tue Nov 13 19:04:00 2007
From: thehaze at earthlink.net (Jim Bendat)
Date: Tue Nov 13 18:54:20 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <20071112.170747.28152.0@webmail01.dca.untd.com>
References: <20071112.170747.28152.0@webmail01.dca.untd.com>
Message-ID: <473A4980.2040203@earthlink.net>

What would also be really, really sad is if Maureen shows up for the 
basketball game on Wednesday -- because the game is on Thursday! -- Jim


mlinhardt@netzero.net wrote:
> Basketball on the other hand could be really, really sad.  We are going to the Stanford game on Wednesday.  

From thehaze at earthlink.net  Tue Nov 13 19:23:12 2007
From: thehaze at earthlink.net (Jim Bendat)
Date: Tue Nov 13 19:13:27 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <111320071326.14361.4739A610000E464D000038192216549976090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
References: <111320071326.14361.4739A610000E464D000038192216549976090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <473A4E00.9090505@earthlink.net>

It's not a matter of living in a fool's paradise.  It's about optimism 
vs. pessimism.  It's about seeing the glass half full or half empty.  
It's about seeing what's good about our team vs. only seeing the bad.

Last year, we were 2-7 with three games to go.  We were just playing out 
the string.  Look at the difference this year.  Here we are, with one 
game to go, and we still have a chance at a winning season and a bowl 
game.  Think of the improvement from last year's 4-8 final record.

Also, stop and think for a moment about what things were like when most 
of us went to NU.  Try to appreciate the good in what has happened.  
Just try -- you'll live a happier life.

Jim Bendat


johnadeg@comcast.net wrote:
> Everyone is free to live in a fool's paradise if they so chose.
>
> John DeGroat
>   

From artmiller1 at hotmail.com  Tue Nov 13 22:49:11 2007
From: artmiller1 at hotmail.com (Arthur Miller)
Date: Tue Nov 13 22:39:49 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <473A4E00.9090505@earthlink.net>
References: <111320071326.14361.4739A610000E464D000038192216549976090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
	<473A4E00.9090505@earthlink.net>
Message-ID: <BAY106-W3BAA4A3A84647F093D3658A810@phx.gbl>


> Also, stop and think for a moment about what things were like when most
> of us went to NU. Try to appreciate the good in what has happened.
> Just try -- you'll live a happier life.
> 
> Jim Bendat
 
 
Jim, your perspective is appreciated.  As befits next week's holiday, we definitely have some things to be thankful for
 
Today's trivia:  Over the past five seasons, going back to the beginning of the 2003 season, the Cats' regular-season record now stands at an even 29-29 (19-20 in the B10).  Contrast that with the record over the five seasons I lived in Evanston (1987-1991): 9-44-2, 7-32-1 in-conference.
 
We're not great, but our multi-decade tenure as the league doormat is slowly becoming a distant memory.  Today's high school seniors were in KINDERGARTEN when DA1, Schnur, Fitz and Co. ran the table in the Big Ten.  We're not losers anymore, we're just middle of the road--but that's a much better place from which to jump into the upper echelon than we've been for most of our history.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
_________________________________________________________________
Help yourself to FREE treats served up daily at the Messenger Caf?. Stop by today.
http://www.cafemessenger.com/info/info_sweetstuff2.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_OctWLtagline
From DPENDERG at aol.com  Wed Nov 14 07:21:46 2007
From: DPENDERG at aol.com (DPENDERG@aol.com)
Date: Wed Nov 14 07:16:05 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <d36.18de836d.346c506a@aol.com>

 
No one denies the program is better than in the Dark Ages. Obvious.   My 
concern is that the current team has more talent than their record and four  of 
the five defeats were victories we let slip away.  It is hardly  pessimism to 
point out the lapses which the Cats have repeatedly exhibited this  year.  We 
can debate endlessly who is responsible: coaches, players,  or both.  But we 
should never submit to the tyranny of low expectations,  which only reinforces 
our status as a second-tier program.
 
On Saturday, the Cats will have a large national television audience to  
demonstrate that we can play at the top level in the Big Ten. There is  a lot at 
stake besides a bowl and the recruiting impact on prospective players  who will 
be watching.   If we lose badly and embarrass ourselves, all  the country 
will just think, "Well, of course, that's the team which lost  to Duke."  Not how 
I want to end the season.  
 
 
In a message dated 11/13/2007 11:50:17 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
artmiller1@hotmail.com writes:


>  Also, stop and think for a moment about what things were like when  most
> of us went to NU. Try to appreciate the good in what has  happened.
> Just try -- you'll live a happier life.
> 
> Jim  Bendat


Jim, your perspective is appreciated.  As befits next  week's holiday, we 
definitely have some things to be thankful  for

Today's trivia:  Over the past five seasons, going back to the  beginning of 
the 2003 season, the Cats' regular-season record now stands at an  even 29-29 
(19-20 in the B10).  Contrast that with the record over the  five seasons I 
lived in Evanston (1987-1991): 9-44-2, 7-32-1  in-conference.

We're not great, but our multi-decade tenure as the  league doormat is slowly 
becoming a distant memory.  Today's high school  seniors were in KINDERGARTEN 
when DA1, Schnur, Fitz and Co. ran the table in  the Big Ten.  We're not 
losers anymore, we're just middle of the  road--but that's a much better place 
from which to jump into the upper echelon  than we've been for most of our  
history.







_________________________________________________________________
Help  yourself to FREE treats served up daily at the Messenger Caf?. Stop by  
today.
http://www.cafemessenger.com/info/info_sweetstuff2.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_OctWLta
gline_______________________________________________
nwu-sports  site  list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports


 



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com  Wed Nov 14 07:58:46 2007
From: jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com (Jeff Beamsley)
Date: Wed Nov 14 07:49:44 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <d36.18de836d.346c506a@aol.com>
References: <d36.18de836d.346c506a@aol.com>
Message-ID: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F06DE@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>

 
<snip>
 
If we lose badly and embarrass ourselves, all  the country 
will just think, "Well, of course, that's the team which lost  to Duke."  Not
how I want to end the season.  
 
==========================================

If the country is sufficiently familiar with our non-con schedule to make a
remark like that, I would say that we are a much bigger success than anyone
realizes.

As an alum, the impression I get from others of our reputation is associated
mainly with academics and the fact that about ten years ago we played in the
Rose Bowl.  Other than that, we are an undifferentiated part of the "little
nine" that make up the rest of the BT.

BTW, I don't have any problems with high expectations and feel that this sort
of discontent for the second season of new head coach indicates that the NU
football program has come a long way.

Jeff

 

From MHRJGScott at aol.com  Wed Nov 14 08:22:46 2007
From: MHRJGScott at aol.com (MHRJGScott@aol.com)
Date: Wed Nov 14 08:17:00 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <c5e.2320e7f5.346c5eb6@aol.com>

Well a lot of people here in Orlando do not want us to win on Saturday, a  
friend of mine is on the citrus sports board and he told me that if Illinois  
wins, they are coming here to play Florida in the Capital One bowl. The return  
of the Zooker and Illinois playing in a Florida bowl game for the first time 
in  forever.



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From neilkaplan at yahoo.com  Wed Nov 14 11:20:44 2007
From: neilkaplan at yahoo.com (Neil Kaplan)
Date: Wed Nov 14 11:10:59 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] fun reading!
Message-ID: <540252.7540.qm@web54103.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

http://www.bleacherreport.com/articles/3634-College_Football-Northwestern_Football-Indiana_Hoosiers_Football-Ohio_State_Football-Sunday_Afternoon_Quarterback_A_Weekend_With_the_Purple_People-111107
 
_________________________________________
NEIL KAPLAN
neilkaplan@yahoo.com

----- Original Message ----
From: "DPENDERG@aol.com" <DPENDERG@aol.com>
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2007 5:21:46 AM
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...


 
No one denies the program is better than in the Dark Ages. Obvious.  
 My 
concern is that the current team has more talent than their record and
 four  of 
the five defeats were victories we let slip away.  It is hardly
  pessimism to 
point out the lapses which the Cats have repeatedly exhibited this
  year.  We 
can debate endlessly who is responsible: coaches, players,  or both.
  But we 
should never submit to the tyranny of low expectations,  which only
 reinforces 
our status as a second-tier program.
 
On Saturday, the Cats will have a large national television audience to
  
demonstrate that we can play at the top level in the Big Ten. There is
  a lot at 
stake besides a bowl and the recruiting impact on prospective players
  who will 
be watching.   If we lose badly and embarrass ourselves, all  the
 country 
will just think, "Well, of course, that's the team which lost  to
 Duke."  Not how 
I want to end the season.  
 
 
In a message dated 11/13/2007 11:50:17 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
artmiller1@hotmail.com writes:


>  Also, stop and think for a moment about what things were like when
  most
> of us went to NU. Try to appreciate the good in what has  happened.
> Just try -- you'll live a happier life.
> 
> Jim  Bendat


Jim, your perspective is appreciated.  As befits next  week's holiday,
 we 
definitely have some things to be thankful  for

Today's trivia:  Over the past five seasons, going back to the
  beginning of 
the 2003 season, the Cats' regular-season record now stands at an  even
 29-29 
(19-20 in the B10).  Contrast that with the record over the  five
 seasons I 
lived in Evanston (1987-1991): 9-44-2, 7-32-1  in-conference.

We're not great, but our multi-decade tenure as the  league doormat is
 slowly 
becoming a distant memory.  Today's high school  seniors were in
 KINDERGARTEN 
when DA1, Schnur, Fitz and Co. ran the table in  the Big Ten.  We're
 not 
losers anymore, we're just middle of the  road--but that's a much
 better place 
from which to jump into the upper echelon  than we've been for most of
 our  
history.







_________________________________________________________________
Help  yourself to FREE treats served up daily at the Messenger Caf?.
 Stop by  
today.
http://www.cafemessenger.com/info/info_sweetstuff2.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_OctWLta
gline_______________________________________________
nwu-sports  site  list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports


 



************************************** See what's new at
 http://www.aol.com
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From nolan at romaine.tssi.com  Wed Nov 14 13:32:30 2007
From: nolan at romaine.tssi.com (Mike Nolan)
Date: Wed Nov 14 13:32:34 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] fun reading! 
Message-ID: <200711141932.lAEJWU30024198@romaine.tssi.com>

If Duke defeats Notre Dame, Northwestern will get some mention as the team
that ended the streak, but not nearly as much as the Irish get.  

>From what I've seen of Duke's games, it could be argued that they let a 
couple of wins slip away from them this season too.
--
Mike Nolan


From johnadeg at comcast.net  Wed Nov 14 15:09:11 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Wed Nov 14 14:59:36 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <111420072109.4112.473B63F70007CC4D000010102216557996090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

It's not a matter of optimism vs pessimism, it is a matter of being realistic and also having high expectations .

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Jim Bendat <thehaze@earthlink.net>
> It's not a matter of living in a fool's paradise.  It's about optimism 
> vs. pessimism.  It's about seeing the glass half full or half empty.  
> It's about seeing what's good about our team vs. only seeing the bad.
> 
> Last year, we were 2-7 with three games to go.  We were just playing out 
> the string.  Look at the difference this year.  Here we are, with one 
> game to go, and we still have a chance at a winning season and a bowl 
> game.  Think of the improvement from last year's 4-8 final record.
> 
> Also, stop and think for a moment about what things were like when most 
> of us went to NU.  Try to appreciate the good in what has happened.  
> Just try -- you'll live a happier life.
> 
> Jim Bendat
> 
> 
> johnadeg@comcast.net wrote:
> > Everyone is free to live in a fool's paradise if they so chose.
> >
> > John DeGroat
> >   
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From johnadeg at comcast.net  Wed Nov 14 15:17:01 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Wed Nov 14 15:07:23 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <111420072117.3854.473B65CD0005D5C400000F0E2216557996090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

The OSU - Columbia game was on the Big Ten Network which OSU won by 14 points.  But, watching Columbia, they seemed to have bigger players than NU and played better than NU usually does.  What does that say?  It says Carmody  has not  been an effective recruiter fro the most part.  NU can't improve without better players.

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Jim Bendat <thehaze@earthlink.net>
> What would also be really, really sad is if Maureen shows up for the 
> basketball game on Wednesday -- because the game is on Thursday! -- Jim
> 
> 
> mlinhardt@netzero.net wrote:
> > Basketball on the other hand could be really, really sad.  We are going to the 
> Stanford game on Wednesday.  
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From johnadeg at comcast.net  Wed Nov 14 15:19:50 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Wed Nov 14 15:10:11 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <111420072119.13195.473B66760000FFB60000338B2216557996090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

Can't disagree with what Eric had to say about Zook.

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: WildElk2@aol.com
> First of all, my beloved Cats pleasantly surprised me, as I  forecasted a 
> loss vs. Indiana, after predicting a win vs. Iowa.
>   I agree with Jonathon Hodge's assessment that any talk about a "year  in 
> review" should be shelved until the appropriate time.  The only team  that 
> handed us our ass was OSU, and I doubt that will be in vogue this  weekend.  I 
> predict a tense, nail-biting affair.  
>    Let's look at Illinois.  We did a commendable job  defensing Hart, so we 
> have it in us to slow down their running game.  I  know it will come at a cost, 
> and Alan A. made a good point; will they  repetitively throw deep?  Fact is, 
> when Iowa cut their usual rushing  yardage in half,  it got them out of their 
> element.  We contained  Lewis, and he had an NFL receiver to throw to (Hardy). 
>  But as we know,  Indiana couldn't run the ball, Illinois can.
>    On Illinois's web site,  even by their own admission they  have a bend, 
> but don't break defense.   If we can pop a couple of TD's  early and get them 
> out of doing what they do best; running the ball, we can get  Juice to beat us 
> with his arm, which he won't.  Keep in mind, Juice has  been benched this 
> season.
>    One thing I need to get off my chest.  Ron Zook has done  a terrific job 
> in getting a traditionally losing program up and running.   Unlike Ron Turner, 
> who was a classless dolt, he's done it with enthusiasm and an  unwavering 
> belief that he and his coaches would get things turned around.   It saddens me 
> that on this list there have been questions concerning the  legitimacy of his 
> recruiting techniques.  Where did you read that, from the  Jaybird at the 
> Sun-Times?  He's done a helluva job; give the man his  props.  Remember, in 
> Zook's 
> first season, his good friend Randy Walker told  him to "enjoy these days."  
> (2005)  Didn't Zook speak at RW's  funeral?  Zook's worked hard to get his team 
> up fron the bottom of the  conference; don't fault him for it.
>  
>                   GO  CATS!!!               Eric
>    
>    
> 
> 
> 
> ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From thiegs at umn.edu  Wed Nov 14 16:45:59 2007
From: thiegs at umn.edu (Joe Thiegs)
Date: Wed Nov 14 16:40:04 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <c2e.210d7388.346b9a7c@aol.com>
References: <c2e.210d7388.346b9a7c@aol.com>
Message-ID: <009201c82710$20927bd0$fb326580@mnfound.umn.edu>

Zook is a product of the Cradle of Coaches, as was Walker.  They also were
classmates and teammates at Miami (Class of 1976), so I'm not surprised that
they would have been close.  I have heard the rumors of "dirty recruiting"
too, but I haven't to date heard specifics, so I just assume they're rumors
until better substantiated.

Incidentally, the Miami (OH) teams on which Ron and Randy played together
were 32-1-1 from '73-'75 under Bill Mallory (in '73) and Dick Crum (in '74
and '75) and finished ranked #15, #10, and #12 in those respective years.
They went to the Tangerine Bowl all three years, where they beat Florida
(1973), Georgia (1974), and South Carolina (1975).  Pretty impressive for a
"mid-major" team from the MAC!  Walker was the MVP of the 1975 team.

[Oh, how I love Wikipedia.]

-Joe

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of WildElk2@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 6:26 PM
To: jonathanwhodges@gmail.com; nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...

First of all, my beloved Cats pleasantly surprised me, as I  forecasted a 
loss vs. Indiana, after predicting a win vs. Iowa.
  I agree with Jonathon Hodge's assessment that any talk about a "year  in 
review" should be shelved until the appropriate time.  The only team  that 
handed us our ass was OSU, and I doubt that will be in vogue this  weekend.
I 
predict a tense, nail-biting affair.  
   Let's look at Illinois.  We did a commendable job  defensing Hart, so we 
have it in us to slow down their running game.  I  know it will come at a
cost, 
and Alan A. made a good point; will they  repetitively throw deep?  Fact is,

when Iowa cut their usual rushing  yardage in half,  it got them out of
their 
element.  We contained  Lewis, and he had an NFL receiver to throw to
(Hardy). 
 But as we know,  Indiana couldn't run the ball, Illinois can.
   On Illinois's web site,  even by their own admission they  have a bend, 
but don't break defense.   If we can pop a couple of TD's  early and get
them 
out of doing what they do best; running the ball, we can get  Juice to beat
us 
with his arm, which he won't.  Keep in mind, Juice has  been benched this 
season.
   One thing I need to get off my chest.  Ron Zook has done  a terrific job 
in getting a traditionally losing program up and running.   Unlike Ron
Turner, 
who was a classless dolt, he's done it with enthusiasm and an  unwavering 
belief that he and his coaches would get things turned around.   It saddens
me 
that on this list there have been questions concerning the  legitimacy of
his 
recruiting techniques.  Where did you read that, from the  Jaybird at the 
Sun-Times?  He's done a helluva job; give the man his  props.  Remember, in
Zook's 
first season, his good friend Randy Walker told  him to "enjoy these days."

(2005)  Didn't Zook speak at RW's  funeral?  Zook's worked hard to get his
team 
up fron the bottom of the  conference; don't fault him for it.
 
                  GO  CATS!!!               Eric
   
   



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From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Wed Nov 14 19:27:09 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Wed Nov 14 19:17:24 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <111420072109.4112.473B63F70007CC4D000010102216557996090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <976791.90121.qm@web52905.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

> It's not a matter of optimism vs pessimism, it is a
> matter of being realistic and also having high
> expectations .

How about we just have reasonable expectations?:)

You can't just say "high expectations" and expect that
to magically make everything better without the
support or building process.

Northwestern was building under Walker, had a setback
and now is back to that level of contention - which is
a lot given that Walker's death wasn't even two years
ago.

We can't settle for just 6 or 7 wins (which is why you
see a lot of criticism - rightly so - of Colby), but
you can't forget that not long ago, 6 or 7 wins would
have us in purple heaven.

Northwestern will never have the talent of the big
powers - we just have to be realistic about that.
Depth will always be a problem and when one of our
starters is injured, it hurts us more than the big
schools. 

That's why even our Big Ten championship teams had a
slip-up loss in their season. We have to play well as
a team using innovative coaching and "sum greater than
their parts" team play in every game. When we do, we
can beat anybody. When we don't, we can lose to
anybody.

The Duke loss obviously sticks out this year, but I do
like how despite setbacks with Sutton, we were in
every game but one. Did we lose some we should have
won? Yes. Did we win some we should have lost? Yup.
But we did get to six wins and have a shot at a bowl
heading into the final week.

I certainly wouldn't call this year a disappointment.
Unless we win Saturday, I wouldn't call it a success
either. It's been a good year, but we have a lot of
talent back next year and hopefully that Duke game and
the blown fourth quarter leads in conference play
stick with them and drive them to reach up to that
next level next year.

Using this season as a stepping stone to 8-9 wins next
year would be a reasonable expectation.

But first, let's make this season last longer by
beating the hated Illini and going bowling!

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!


      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Never miss a thing.  Make Yahoo your home page. 
http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

From jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com  Thu Nov 15 09:03:44 2007
From: jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com (Jeff Beamsley)
Date: Thu Nov 15 08:54:40 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <976791.90121.qm@web52905.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
References: <111420072109.4112.473B63F70007CC4D000010102216557996090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
	<976791.90121.qm@web52905.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F07A6@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>

I agree.

This was RW's team.  It is slowly becoming PF's team.  For example, penalties
are way down, and defense is up.

As much as PF would like to be RW, he can't.  He has to be true to himself
and he appears to be learning how to do that.  A more experienced coach would
not have lost the Duke game and would have known which buttons to push when
the team finds itself in unexpected situations (e.g. entering the 4th quarter
with a lead in a game where you were the underdog).  He's learning how to
recognize those situations, prepare for them in preseason and during
practice, and push the right buttons when he senses the team needs it.  The
only way that you learn what the right buttons are is by pushing some of the
wrong ones.  He's had that experience this year.

Besides learning his own strengths and weaknesses; he is learning the
strengths, weaknesses, and potential of his assistants.  We'll see what he
does with that experience during the off season.

NU has been making investments in PF this year.  We won't know whether or not
it has been worth it for another two or three years, when it is reasonable to
expect him to perform as an experienced head coach with a staff he has chosen
and a team that has no memory of RW.

Jeff



-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of SjT (Stephen J. Truog)
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2007 8:27 PM
To: johnadeg@comcast.net; thehaze@earthlink.net; nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...

> It's not a matter of optimism vs pessimism, it is a matter of being 
> realistic and also having high expectations .

How about we just have reasonable expectations?:)

You can't just say "high expectations" and expect that to magically make
everything better without the support or building process.

Northwestern was building under Walker, had a setback and now is back to that
level of contention - which is a lot given that Walker's death wasn't even
two years ago.

We can't settle for just 6 or 7 wins (which is why you see a lot of criticism
- rightly so - of Colby), but you can't forget that not long ago, 6 or 7 wins
would have us in purple heaven.

Northwestern will never have the talent of the big powers - we just have to
be realistic about that.
Depth will always be a problem and when one of our starters is injured, it
hurts us more than the big schools. 

That's why even our Big Ten championship teams had a slip-up loss in their
season. We have to play well as a team using innovative coaching and "sum
greater than their parts" team play in every game. When we do, we can beat
anybody. When we don't, we can lose to anybody.

The Duke loss obviously sticks out this year, but I do like how despite
setbacks with Sutton, we were in every game but one. Did we lose some we
should have won? Yes. Did we win some we should have lost? Yup.
But we did get to six wins and have a shot at a bowl heading into the final
week.

I certainly wouldn't call this year a disappointment.
Unless we win Saturday, I wouldn't call it a success either. It's been a good
year, but we have a lot of talent back next year and hopefully that Duke game
and the blown fourth quarter leads in conference play stick with them and
drive them to reach up to that next level next year.

Using this season as a stepping stone to 8-9 wins next year would be a
reasonable expectation.

But first, let's make this season last longer by beating the hated Illini and
going bowling!

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!


 
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From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Thu Nov 15 12:38:25 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Thu Nov 15 12:28:39 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F07A6@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>
Message-ID: <920132.5599.qm@web52901.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

> I agree.
> 
> This was RW's team.  It is slowly becoming PF's
> team.  For example, penalties
> are way down, and defense is up.

Excellent point on the penalties (dunno about the D,
but hope you're right :) ). 

Very quietly this year, NU has made two changes that
are clear distinctions for Coach Fitz ...

* Penalties are down
* Time of possession is up

Both are welcome changes. Now just change the D and
work on special teams a bit and we'll all be happy!:)

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!


      ____________________________________________________________________________________
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with Yahoo Mobile. Try it now.  http://mobile.yahoo.com/sports;_ylt=At9_qDKvtAbMuh1G1SQtBI7ntAcJ

From nolan at romaine.tssi.com  Thu Nov 15 15:12:08 2007
From: nolan at romaine.tssi.com (Mike Nolan)
Date: Thu Nov 15 15:12:12 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <200711152112.lAFLC80N027885@romaine.tssi.com>

> Very quietly this year, NU has made two changes that
> are clear distinctions for Coach Fitz ...
> 
> * Penalties are down
> * Time of possession is up
> 
> Both are welcome changes. Now just change the D and
> work on special teams a bit and we'll all be happy!:)

Red zone conversions still need lots of work, according to the (otherwise 
inept) ESPN crew last Saturday the Cats were 1st in the Big 10 in yardage 
but 10th in points scored.

This is the year I would expect to see the start of any coaching shuffles, 
last year was just too traumatic and put together at the last minute to
make any real evaluations of how well the coaches fit into Fitz's overall
strategy, which he probably didn't even have worked out yet.  Last year
it was still RW's team, it's much more Fitz's team now.

A continued reliance on the spread offense means we're likely to see one
'learning' season followed by two and occasionally three 'experienced'
seasons at QB, barring injuries.  Is it too soon to wonder who's the next 
QB in the pipeline?

Does it seem like there are there fewer NU games (and possibly fewer Big 
10 games in general) being relegated to the Big 10 Network at this point 
in the season?  

This is also his first real recruiting class, so TV exposure at this point
is critical.  A win over Illinois would be SOOOOO sweet!  

(Now that the NCAA has taken aim at native american team names, is the
Sweet Sioux trophy next in their sights?)
--
Mike Nolan


From MHRJGScott at aol.com  Thu Nov 15 15:38:34 2007
From: MHRJGScott at aol.com (MHRJGScott@aol.com)
Date: Thu Nov 15 15:32:49 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <c57.1dab0032.346e165a@aol.com>

 
In a message dated 11/15/2007 4:22:53 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
nolan@romaine.tssi.com writes:

(Now  that the NCAA has taken aim at native American team names, is the
Sweet  Sioux trophy next in their sights?)



That's a good question, probably up to the Sioux nation. Down here the  
Seminoles, took a few bucks (as if they need it with the hard rock casinos) and  
declared that Florida St was doing them a great  honor.



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From CHerron604 at aol.com  Thu Nov 15 15:55:59 2007
From: CHerron604 at aol.com (CHerron604@aol.com)
Date: Thu Nov 15 15:50:06 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <c1f.22beeb2e.346e1a6f@aol.com>

The otherwise politically correct NU administration has been strangely  
silent on the so-called tomahawk trophy.  Sioux has a negative  connotation - the 
term 'sioux' is derived from 'Nadouessioux', a term  meaning 'snakes' or 
'enemies', applied to the Lakota people by the Ojibwa  people.  There is also no 
evidence that the original Illini people ever  used tomahawks.
 
While we should have a trophy, it should not be weapon-based, historically  
inaccurate, and use a negative term for a people.  I have e-mailed  President 
Bienen once or twice on this...I imagine it quickly found its way to  his 
recycle bin...
 
Chuck Herron   Tech '85 



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From rstetson at capps-assoc.com  Thu Nov 15 15:54:14 2007
From: rstetson at capps-assoc.com (Roy Lamberton)
Date: Thu Nov 15 16:00:31 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <200711152112.lAFLC80N027885@romaine.tssi.com>
References: <200711152112.lAFLC80N027885@romaine.tssi.com>
Message-ID: <000d01c827d2$108890e0$3199b2a0$@com>

I suspect that Mr. Persa is probably the heir apparent, altho Kafka will be
given a shot as a Senior to make the O run. [let's see, he's one year behind
C.J., right?] However, we're actually set up pretty well at QB, one in each year

Red zone conversions usually are a function of O-Line and running back getting a
hole to make a move. You have to be willing to throw across the back of the end
zone, or into the corner to make that running inside happen - or you need a Noah
Herron type to tote the rock up the middle.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Fitz take on the DC responsibilities altho Randy
Bates has experience as a DC. Fitz does spend a lot more time on D than RW did.
Something he has to master as the head guy is reading the entire defense [and
offense] from both sides. I think he's getting better every week/every game.

What would be best is that NU makes a bowl, any bowl, so we can get the extra
practices. RW always stressed that the value of the bowl included getting ready
for next year. We could definitely use the work

rsl

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate
& sometime Unix Guru....
Computer Applications & Support Associates 
=============  Go Cats -? Beat 'em All  =============
"You have a Republic Madam --
???? If you can keep it" - Benjamin Franklin
============================================

> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
> Behalf Of Mike Nolan
> Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2007 4:12 PM
> To: nwu-sports@romaine.tssi.com
> Subject: RE: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
> 
> > Very quietly this year, NU has made two changes that
> > are clear distinctions for Coach Fitz ...
> >
> > * Penalties are down
> > * Time of possession is up
> >
> > Both are welcome changes. Now just change the D and
> > work on special teams a bit and we'll all be happy!:)
> 
> Red zone conversions still need lots of work, according to the (otherwise
> inept) ESPN crew last Saturday the Cats were 1st in the Big 10 in yardage
> but 10th in points scored.
> 
> This is the year I would expect to see the start of any coaching shuffles,
> last year was just too traumatic and put together at the last minute to
> make any real evaluations of how well the coaches fit into Fitz's overall
> strategy, which he probably didn't even have worked out yet.  Last year
> it was still RW's team, it's much more Fitz's team now.
> 
> A continued reliance on the spread offense means we're likely to see one
> 'learning' season followed by two and occasionally three 'experienced'
> seasons at QB, barring injuries.  Is it too soon to wonder who's the next
> QB in the pipeline?
> 
> Does it seem like there are there fewer NU games (and possibly fewer Big
> 10 games in general) being relegated to the Big 10 Network at this point
> in the season?
> 
> This is also his first real recruiting class, so TV exposure at this point
> is critical.  A win over Illinois would be SOOOOO sweet!
> 
> (Now that the NCAA has taken aim at native american team names, is the
> Sweet Sioux trophy next in their sights?)
> --
> Mike Nolan
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports


From tkmaycock at yahoo.com  Thu Nov 15 16:26:31 2007
From: tkmaycock at yahoo.com (Tom Maycock)
Date: Thu Nov 15 16:16:43 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <200711152112.lAFLC80N027885@romaine.tssi.com>
Message-ID: <537355.56553.qm@web33107.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

> Red zone conversions still need lots of work, 

True. I don't think RZ stuff has been McGee's strongest point this
year, although I think he's done a very solid job overall. 

However, turnovers and missed FGs are probably the biggest reasons for
the discrepancy between yards and points. The end-zone INTs and
long-drive killing turnovers against Purdue were the most blatant
examples, but not the only ones. 

Not having Sutton for most of the year certainly didn't help either. 

Tom



From Willie.Weinbaum at espn.com  Thu Nov 15 22:15:41 2007
From: Willie.Weinbaum at espn.com (Weinbaum, Willie)
Date: Thu Nov 15 22:06:32 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Mike Thompson era begins vs. Stanford
Message-ID: <EBEB58980DB31543B690E276B97F69560699DEFC@XCHGNYM2.corp.espn.pvt>

I only saw the second half and was treated to a show from NU's freshman guard from the Chicago Public League, who shows plenty of guts & guile and looks like a dynamic player.  Hope that his career is immeasurably better than another M. Thompson's was after a promising debut for NU, years ago.

Cats gave a determined effort and were in it late, despite a ridiculous height disadvantage and getting down by double figures in the second half.  The loss of Coble is a crusher, and everything will have to fall just right for this group to post significant wins.  If the missed foul shots continue, the outlook will be bleak.
 
But this game, albeit a loss, provided some encouragement and excitement.  There were strong signs of an improved Sterling Williams and that the rest of the Cats' tenacity and teamwork might provide a few thrills. 

The Big Ten Network tonight is like an NU alumni-fest - - alums Dave Revsine & Shon Morris on NU game telecast, followed by alums Ann Kreiter & Tim Doyle on Big Ten Tonight.

W. Weinbaum
N.Y. Bureau Producer
212-916-9864

>From GoodLink synchronized handheld 
From cp2m at enterprisesw.com  Fri Nov 16 02:36:35 2007
From: cp2m at enterprisesw.com (Chris and Lori Patterson)
Date: Fri Nov 16 02:30:14 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] FW: Message from Ron Guenther About Saturday's Football
	Game 
Message-ID: <AFE15AF85F944CB7806D2E50F0CF22F4@Eagle>

Thought I'd pass this along.

 

GO CATS!   Ruin their party.

 

  _____  

From: Drew Kapinos [mailto:dkapinos@mabis.net] 
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2007 8:54 PM
To: cpatterson2@enterprisesw.com
Subject: FW: Message from Ron Guenther About Saturday's Football Game 

 

Chris:

I thought that you may find this interesting.


Regards,


Drew

 

  _____  

From: Fighting I-Mail [mailto:fightingimail@mypacmailreply.paciolan.com] 
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2007 4:41 PM
To: dkapinos@mabis.net
Subject: Message from Ron Guenther About Saturday's Football Game 


[Use this <http://link.paciolan.com/viewmsg.cfm?n2036s320c396838t330>  link
if you are unable to view the images below]


 <http://link.paciolan.com/index.cfm?n2036s320c396838t330o4> 


 
<http://a1253.g.akamai.net/f/1253/1122/1d/graphics.sdm3.com/illinois/uploads
/Template/row1a.gif>
<http://link.paciolan.com/index.cfm?n2036s320c396838t330o1380>
<http://a1253.g.akamai.net/f/1253/1122/1d/graphics.sdm3.com/illinois/uploads
/Template/row1c.gif>
<http://link.paciolan.com/index.cfm?n2036s320c396838t330o1500>
<http://a1253.g.akamai.net/f/1253/1122/1d/graphics.sdm3.com/illinois/uploads
/Template/row1e.gif>
<http://link.paciolan.com/index.cfm?n2036s320c396838t330o10>
<http://a1253.g.akamai.net/f/1253/1122/1d/graphics.sdm3.com/illinois/uploads
/Template/row1g.gif> 




 <http://link.paciolan.com/index.cfm?n2036s320c396838t330o1633> 


 <http://link.paciolan.com/index.cfm?n2036s320c396838t330o1633> 

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 <http://link.paciolan.com/index.cfm?n2036s320c396838t330o1633> 

 <http://link.paciolan.com/index.cfm?n2036s320c396838t330o1633> 

 <http://link.paciolan.com/index.cfm?n2036s320c396838t330o1633> 


 <http://link.paciolan.com/index.cfm?n2036s320c396838t330o1633> 

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 <http://link.paciolan.com/index.cfm?n2036s320c396838t330o1633> 

 <http://link.paciolan.com/index.cfm?n2036s320c396838t330o1633> 

 <http://link.paciolan.com/index.cfm?n2036s320c396838t330o1633> 


 <http://link.paciolan.com/index.cfm?n2036s320c396838t330o1633> 

 <http://link.paciolan.com/index.cfm?n2036s320c396838t330o1633> 

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 <http://link.paciolan.com/index.cfm?n2036s320c396838t330o1382>
<http://link.paciolan.com/index.cfm?n2036s320c396838t330o7> 


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From cp2m at enterprisesw.com  Fri Nov 16 02:49:32 2007
From: cp2m at enterprisesw.com (Chris and Lori Patterson)
Date: Fri Nov 16 02:43:00 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Use this URL: FW: Message from Ron Guenther About
	Saturday's Football Game 
Message-ID: <F171685437A741FDA666B3BF6D825C6E@Eagle>

For some reason the pictures didn't come through, so just click on this
link.

 

http://link.paciolan.com/viewmsg.cfm?n2036s320c396838t330

 

I believe this was an email sent out by the Illini athletic department.

 

GO CATS!

 

Chris

 

  _____  

From: Drew Kapinos [mailto:dkapinos@mabis.net] 
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2007 8:54 PM
To: cpatterson2@enterprisesw.com
Subject: FW: Message from Ron Guenther About Saturday's Football Game 

 

Chris:

I thought that you may find this interesting.


Regards,


Drew

From mlinhardt at netzero.net  Fri Nov 16 06:21:58 2007
From: mlinhardt at netzero.net (mlinhardt@netzero.net)
Date: Fri Nov 16 06:14:31 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I'm not as depressed about basketball...
Message-ID: <20071116.062158.20019.0@webmail04.dca.untd.com>

I'm not as depressed about basketball after watching the Stanford game in person.

Against teams with a big man focus ala Stanford we are like buzzing hornets.  We can annoy, distract, and create turnovers on the defensive side of the ball with our smaller and faster team.  Lopez was always double-downed.  It made it difficult for him to catch a pass and almost impossible for him to dribble.

Other good things:
* Michael Thompson reminding me of Jitim.
* We had some energy after half.  We usually create a lot of turnovers before half and seem lethargic afterwards.  To a great extent we have corrected this.

Unfortunately we still can't shoot freethrows or shoot fromt the floor.  

Craig looked good for a while, but once they started guarding him he did not get another open 3-look.  I believe he took only a single 3-point shot(miss) in the second half.
_____________________________________________________________
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From tbng at comcast.net  Fri Nov 16 06:40:32 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Fri Nov 16 06:30:49 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Basketball
References: <EBEB58980DB31543B690E276B97F69560699DEFC@XCHGNYM2.corp.espn.pvt>
Message-ID: <001f01c8284d$e0da60e0$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>

Last night's loss to Stanford was played by the same sort of Bill Carmody 
team we've seen since he arrived:  well coached, hustling, and short on 
physical size and skills.  They played good fundamental defense but 
ultimately were about as inpenitrable as a wall of Legos trying to contain 
an Abrams tank.  On offense, they have no inside game that doesn't involve a 
back-pick, can't finish a fast-break, and fail to convert free-throws, which 
on its on would have made victory possible last night.  This team continues 
to scream for a good center and a slashing small forward but, as usual, came 
up short in the recruiting department.  They will win a few games when they 
play at their best, but there will be joy in neither Mudville nor Evanston 
again this season. 

From johnadeg at comcast.net  Fri Nov 16 07:29:03 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Fri Nov 16 07:19:25 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Basketball
Message-ID: <111620071329.6579.473D9B1F00086377000019B32216566276090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

Dennis obviously saw the same game that I did and came to the same conclusions as did.  
Why can't Carmody teach players to hit free throws???

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Dennis W. Brandt" <tbng@comcast.net>
> Last night's loss to Stanford was played by the same sort of Bill Carmody 
> team we've seen since he arrived:  well coached, hustling, and short on 
> physical size and skills.  They played good fundamental defense but 
> ultimately were about as inpenitrable as a wall of Legos trying to contain 
> an Abrams tank.  On offense, they have no inside game that doesn't involve a 
> back-pick, can't finish a fast-break, and fail to convert free-throws, which 
> on its on would have made victory possible last night.  This team continues 
> to scream for a good center and a slashing small forward but, as usual, came 
> up short in the recruiting department.  They will win a few games when they 
> play at their best, but there will be joy in neither Mudville nor Evanston 
> again this season. 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From johnadeg at comcast.net  Fri Nov 16 07:39:34 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Fri Nov 16 07:29:49 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
Message-ID: <111620071339.5468.473D9D960005C7E70000155C2216566276090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

How come the PC police at the NCAA don't have a problem with the "Fighting Irish"?  Oh, that 's right they are white guys. 

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Mike Nolan <nolan@romaine.tssi.com>
> > Very quietly this year, NU has made two changes that
> > are clear distinctions for Coach Fitz ...
> > 
> > * Penalties are down
> > * Time of possession is up
> > 
> > Both are welcome changes. Now just change the D and
> > work on special teams a bit and we'll all be happy!:)
> 
> Red zone conversions still need lots of work, according to the (otherwise 
> inept) ESPN crew last Saturday the Cats were 1st in the Big 10 in yardage 
> but 10th in points scored.
> 
> This is the year I would expect to see the start of any coaching shuffles, 
> last year was just too traumatic and put together at the last minute to
> make any real evaluations of how well the coaches fit into Fitz's overall
> strategy, which he probably didn't even have worked out yet.  Last year
> it was still RW's team, it's much more Fitz's team now.
> 
> A continued reliance on the spread offense means we're likely to see one
> 'learning' season followed by two and occasionally three 'experienced'
> seasons at QB, barring injuries.  Is it too soon to wonder who's the next 
> QB in the pipeline?
> 
> Does it seem like there are there fewer NU games (and possibly fewer Big 
> 10 games in general) being relegated to the Big 10 Network at this point 
> in the season?  
> 
> This is also his first real recruiting class, so TV exposure at this point
> is critical.  A win over Illinois would be SOOOOO sweet!  
> 
> (Now that the NCAA has taken aim at native american team names, is the
> Sweet Sioux trophy next in their sights?)
> --
> Mike Nolan
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Fri Nov 16 07:52:26 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Fri Nov 16 07:43:36 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Basketball
In-Reply-To: <111620071329.6579.473D9B1F00086377000019B32216566276090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
References: <111620071329.6579.473D9B1F00086377000019B32216566276090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711160552s6eb9cd11jccdd64d9127e15d3@mail.gmail.com>

Unfortunately, the coach is not allowed to go out there and shoot the free
throws for the players.  If a player can't hit a free throw, I don't know
how you can blame this on the coaching staff - they must have shot some in
high school and it's basically the most simple thing that's done on the
basketball floor.

Regarding the lack of size, I was surprised to see NU in the game down only
by 5 or 6 with time winding down in the game - surprising given the fact
that Stanford had a huge size advantage.  Also, NU was obviously hurt by the
lack of Coble, hopefully his mother gets well soon and he can return to the
team.

There's a lot of promise on the team, but the fact is that they're still
young - it was nice to see a breakout game by Thompson who has the potential
to be special down the road, especially if the right guys can be put in
place around him.  I heard an interview with him following the game on the
radio and he was very well-spoken - and he's a freshman.

Jonathan

On Nov 16, 2007 7:29 AM, <johnadeg@comcast.net> wrote:

> Dennis obviously saw the same game that I did and came to the same
> conclusions as did.
> Why can't Carmody teach players to hit free throws???
>
> John DeGroat
>  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: "Dennis W. Brandt" <tbng@comcast.net>
> > Last night's loss to Stanford was played by the same sort of Bill
> Carmody
> > team we've seen since he arrived:  well coached, hustling, and short on
> > physical size and skills.  They played good fundamental defense but
> > ultimately were about as inpenitrable as a wall of Legos trying to
> contain
> > an Abrams tank.  On offense, they have no inside game that doesn't
> involve a
> > back-pick, can't finish a fast-break, and fail to convert free-throws,
> which
> > on its on would have made victory possible last night.  This team
> continues
> > to scream for a good center and a slashing small forward but, as usual,
> came
> > up short in the recruiting department.  They will win a few games when
> they
> > play at their best, but there will be joy in neither Mudville nor
> Evanston
> > again this season.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > nwu-sports site list
> > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Mon Nov 12 12:43:32 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Fri Nov 16 10:43:55 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] WILDCAT WRAP: Northwestern 31, Indiana 28
In-Reply-To: <111220071835.1511.47389CFB000DBCAA000005E72216548686090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
References: <111220071835.1511.47389CFB000DBCAA000005E72216548686090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711121043h3f558ce8v88c6bdc7909a9631@mail.gmail.com>

Attendance was listed at 20,466, the lowest attended Big Ten game at Ryan
Field in a long time (most likely into the 70's although I don't have
statistics going back nearly that far) - prior to that last year's Illinois
contest (just over 22,000) was the next lowest.

For reference, NU averaged 24,589 for its 7 home games in 2007, about 2,500
below the previous recent season average low (in 2002), which currently
ranks NU 85th nationally in average attendance on the year.  In fact, the
total attendance is lower than that in 2001, which had 2 fewer home games.
Also, on average, NU has only filled 52.17% of the seats this year.

Sure, winning goes a long way towards filling seats and we've talked the
attendance issue to death, but the final 2007 numbers are definitely
discouraging and show that something needs to be done.

Jonathan

On Nov 12, 2007 12:35 PM, <johnadeg@comcast.net> wrote:

> I don't know if Indiana had more fans at the game than NU did, but the
> stadium looked like it was half empty.  That sure doesn't help in trying to
> get a bowl bid.
>
> John DeGroat
>  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: "SjT (Stephen J. Truog)" <sjtruog@yahoo.com>
> > WILDCAT WRAP ? NORTHWESTERN 31, INDIANA 28
> >
> > There are a lot of ways you could look at
> > Northwestern's 31-28 season home finale win over
> > Indiana. It could be a team finally getting over that
> > hump and learning to win games they need to finish
> > when they have leads in the fourth quarter. It could
> > be the Cats almost blowing another game they should
> > have easily won with turnovers and mistakes. It could
> > be a case of some gutsy performances from seniors and
> > team leaders for the home finale. Or it could be just
> > another exciting finish to a Northwestern football
> > game in Ryan Field by the comeback Cats.
> >
> > But it might just be that Saturday's game will go down
> > as the Replay Bowl. Several key plays ? including two
> > touchdowns (and what probably should have been a
> > third) ? were held up while officials upstairs took an
> > extra look to get the call right. And when a fumble
> > appeared to end Indiana's final drive and give NU the
> > victory, the Evanston crowd had to hold their breath
> > while replay officials went to work before they could
> > confirm the call on the field and celebrate the Senior
> > Day victory.
> >
> > Northwestern came into the game after a heartbreaking
> > home loss to Iowa last week in a game where NU
> > dominated the first quarter and played well most of
> > the game, but for the second straight week, a 17-14 NU
> > lead at the end of three evaporated into a Wildcat
> > loss. In fact, of the five Wildcat defeats this year,
> > they were leading Michigan, Purdue and Iowa in the
> > fourth and had four chances to win at the end against
> > Duke. Only the Ohio State debacle was out of reach. So
> > while no one doubted the Cats ability to comeback,
> > their ability to finish out games they're leading was
> > definitely called into question.
> >
> > The weather was a brisk Midwestern autumn day, perfect
> > for the pigskin, and the Hoosiers brought quite a bit
> > more fans than they usually do to Evanston. No doubt
> > they were anticipating this game being win No. 7 that
> > would make a long-awaited bowl bid all but certain.
> > The IU Marching Hundred band was also in attendance,
> > making for a spirited afternoon. Though I must say,
> > between their little march song for IU first downs
> > (complete with odd hand gestures) and that blasted
> > whistle for Purdue, you're gonna need to bring some
> > earplugs to the old bucket game next week to leave
> > with a sense of sanity. C'mon Marching Hundred, you
> > have the INDIANA Jones march to play, why are you
> > milking cows?
> >
> > The first quarter against started much like last
> > week's first quarter except with different results.
> > Once again, Northwestern dominated the opening 15
> > minutes, controlling the clock, moving it up and down
> > the field and dominating the total yardage on offense.
> > But the Cats had to settle for a field goal on their
> > opening march and the Hoosiers didn't even need to put
> > their offense on the field as the ensuing kick was
> > returned 91 yards for a touchdown.
> >
> > Coming into the game, most purple-clad fans knew that
> > Northwestern needed to finish the drive with "6 not 3"
> > and I was even willing to print up shirts saying "I
> > HATE FIELD GOALS" given how kicks have been an, um,
> > adventure this year. But the first 16 minutes of the
> > game just made the point all the greater. Northwestern
> > had the ball for 31 of the game's first 35 plays. The
> > defense even forced a 3-and-out after an interception
> > where C.J. Bacher woefully underthrew a deep pass. But
> > with IU's kick return and NU's drives stalling for a
> > field goal and a missed field goal, the Cats were down
> > 3-7 at the start of the second quarter despite
> > dominating every phase of the game outside of special
> > teams.
> >
> > Things looked even worse when the Hoosiers finally
> > woke up and drove down for a touchdown on their second
> > possession. And despite a great burst up the middle by
> > Tyrell Sutton, showing flashes of the No. 19 NU fans
> > know and love, moved the ball deep into IU territory,
> > the Cats promptly squandered yet another scoring
> > chance when a touchdown pass by Bacher bounced out of
> > Ross Lane's hands and into an IU defender in the end
> > zone.
> >
> > The Wildcats had had four offensive series, all
> > marching to midfield or beyond, and had only three
> > points. Two ended in field goal tries, while two ended
> > in interceptions. NU fans were wondering what they had
> > to do to score when something almost unheard of in
> > recent Wildcat history happened.
> >
> > Indiana was driving off the turnover when quarterback
> > Kellen Lewis was knocked out for a play. When backup
> > Ben Chappell came in and made one throw, the NU
> > defense made the interception and senior Eddie Simpson
> > ran it back 40 yards for the touchdown. The teams
> > exchanged punts until halftime and the Cats headed to
> > the locker room down only 10-14, thanks to their
> > defense.
> >
> > At halftime, the NU Marching Band put on a great show
> > ? once again bringing out "Rhapsody in Blue" for
> > "American Airlines Day" at Ryan Field in a wonderfully
> > sly slam on corporate sponsorship. Sadly, though, the
> > usual "olde plus four" and senior recognition was
> > rushed by time and the teams coming back on the field
> > a bit early. In fact, the alma mater was performed at
> > a brisk pace ? quicker than the fight song is most
> > days ? to rush off the field in time. After all their
> > hard work to make Saturdays special, the seniors in
> > NUMB deserve a better send-off!
> >
> > Another quick editorial comment: The Wildcat defense
> > played much better this game than in the past ? more
> > aggressive and more pressuring. Our front four were
> > able to get consistent pressure on IU all day, and
> > even if their line isn't as good as I thought, they
> > still have one of the more mobile quarterbacks in
> > Hardy who can scramble out of most jams. I am NOT
> > trying to say Colby deserves to stay as defensive
> > coordinator, though. For some reason, he refused to
> > give Sherrick McManus any help all day on James Hardy.
> > I love McManis' enthusiasm and aggression, but Hardy
> > is indeed every bit as good as advertised and had a
> > huge height advantage all day. By putting McManus
> > one-on-one and having no inside help when McManis had
> > to play the fade down by the end zone, Hardy easily
> > cut one in for a wide open score and could have done
> > so all day if the Hoosiers had gone to him more.
> > Overall, he only had a quiet 100 yards or so ? not
> > nearly as bad as it could have been with our defensive
> > game plan to not double cover the best receiver in the
> > league. But we did come with more blitz schemes and
> > got good pressure when only rushing the front line.
> >
> > But the game started to really get crazy in the second
> > half. The officials really hadn't played much of a
> > role in the game ? not calling a lot both ways and
> > staying out of it for the most part. But that usually
> > commendable approach could not be tolerated any more
> > on the first series of the second half when a
> > scrambling Lewis ? running toward the sideline with
> > THE MARKER ON IT ? took a couple steps over the line
> > before hurling a 70-yard touchdown strike to break the
> > game open again at 20-10 Indiana.
> >
> > To be honest, I didn't even see who caught it
> > downfield or even know it was a TD until a bit later.
> > I was too stunned that with an official AND A MARKER
> > right by the play, no one had thrown a flag for
> > crossing the line. From midfield and sixty rows up, I
> > could clearly see two steps past the line of scrimmage
> > and pointed in stunned outrage, yelling for replay in
> > disbelief that no flag had been thrown. Were these
> > officials napping through the game? How could my so-so
> > eyesight spot this so obviously while they missed it,
> > I incredulously thought.
> >
> > Ten years ago, it would have just been an outrage post
> > for the message boards afterwards, but thank goodness
> > we have instant replay and they buzzed down in the
> > nick of time. It was a huge turning point in the game
> > as the play came on third down and when the folks
> > upstairs finally got it right, it became a 14-point
> > swing because the Cats drove down after the ensuing
> > punt to take a 17-14 lead on Sutton's 1-yard plunge.
> >
> > After the Wildcat defense again forced a punt (a
> > make-up replay reversal had given the Hoosiers one
> > first down but they couldn't get another), the
> > situation was all too familiar for NU fans. The Cats
> > had the ball, up 17-14 in the second half. Against
> > Purdue and Iowa, they had been in this situation many
> > times and failed to get that "next score" that would
> > put some distance between themselves and their
> > opponent. But senior Kim Thompson stepped up this time
> > to make sure his home finale would not be the third
> > game in a row of blown opportunities. Thompson caught
> > two key third down conversions to spur a drive that
> > ended in a touchdown when senior Brandon Roberson
> > turned a halfback option into a touchdown pass to a
> > wide open Thompson in the end zone.
> >
> > The play was a great call and Thompson snuck behind
> > the defense and could have set up camp in the end zone
> > for a couple weeks before being detected. However,
> > IU's defense forced a delay in the pass and tipped it
> > enough that it took a fantastic catch by Thompson on
> > the side of the end zone to get the score. Of course
> > the play was reviewed, but this time the refs had made
> > the right call on the lead and the Cats were up 28-17.
> > Finally, some breathing distance for Wildcat fans ?
> > were they learning to finish?
> >
> > The other great thing about this drive ? and all of
> > NU's possessions in the second half this week ? was
> > that they did not forget about the running game. In
> > the Iowa and Purdue losses, Sutton rarely touched the
> > ball. On Saturday, he was fed early and often on NU's
> > drives. He didn't break any long, but it kept the Cats
> > in manageable third downs and kept the defense honest
> > against the run and pass.
> >
> > With just over a quarter left, however, NU fans knew
> > this one was not over. Indiana finally seemed to
> > realize that they had the Big Ten's best receiver in
> > single coverage and used a couple big passes to Hardy
> > to set up a touchdown to cut the lead back to three.
> > The touchdown itself probably should have been added
> > to the replay list for the day. I was surprised no one
> > challenged it. They didn't show a replay on the
> > jumbotron, but it sure looked like it may have been
> > slipping out as he dove for the end zone and barely
> > crossed the line.
> >
> > In any case, the score stood and instead of being up
> > 17-14, NU was now up 24-21 entering the final fifteen
> > minutes. Bacher quickly drove the Cats downfield ?
> > aided by another big Thompson catch ? and the Cats
> > were facing 3rd and Goal at the Hoosier 3 yard line
> > with just over 10 minutes left.
> >
> > As soon as they ran the play and before the ball was
> > thrown, I yelled out the words I now wanted to print
> > on a new T-shirt: "I HATE THE FADE." You can run a
> > fade when you have a huge height edge like Hardy had.
> > You can run the fade when you have a great leaper. You
> > can run it when you have a perfect throw or the far
> > side of the field. Northwestern had none of those
> > things. All I thought would happen was an incomplete
> > and we'd have to go for it on 4th down ("NO MORE FIELD
> > GOALS!" was another T-shirt idea) ? but it was worse.
> > Indiana intercepted it and with 10:19 remaining in the
> > game, Northwestern's third interception gave Indiana a
> > golden chance to take the lead and get that big bowl
> > win.
> >
> > The Cats brought pressure and sacked Hardy once, but
> > the next time he escaped with a big scramble and
> > fueled a drive that ended with an easy Hardy
> > touchdown. With no inside help and McManis having to
> > play the fade, Hardy cut it in for a wide open score
> > to put Indiana ahead 28-24 with six minutes remaining.
> >
> > Now was when the Cats had folded in the past two
> > weeks, but not this time. Everything finally came
> > together for play calling, Bacher and the entire
> > offense as the Cats gave the home fans and seniors
> > another thrilling finish. It's telling that the Cats
> > had four sets of downs on the final drive and on each
> > of the four first downs and four second downs, NU
> > dialed up a rushing play. Big difference from the past
> > couple weeks!
> >
> > Not only did the running game keep the defense honest
> > and mix up the offense, it took a lot of time off the
> > clock and surprisingly, the Hoosiers didn't empty
> > their supply of timeouts to keep more left on the
> > clock for a comeback drive. The balance finally paid
> > off. On 3rd and 2 from the IU 3, everyone in the house
> > was expecting a run. There was almost an audible gasp
> > from the crowd when Bacher kept the ball and dropped
> > back. Thankfully for the purple-clad fans, he zipped a
> > perfect strike to Lane for the touchdown and with 44
> > seconds left, NU topped their "magical mark" of 30
> > points that seems to determine wins and losses for the
> > season to take the lead at 31-28.
> >
> > A poor kickoff out of bounds gave the Hoosiers one
> > last chance and after a couple first downs moved
> > Indiana within range of a couple Hail Mary's (and that
> > was a scary thought for NU with Hardy on the field).
> > But the Wildcat pressure continued to be fierce and
> > David Ngene came up with perhaps the play of the year
> > to knock the ball free on a sack to seal the victory.
> > Of course, the play would be reviewed. But after what
> > seemed like an endless wait for the fans in Ryan
> > Field, the call stood and Northwestern had won its
> > sixth game of the season and ended the home slate on
> > an high note with a thrilling 31-28 victory.
> >
> > The Big Ten has 10 bowl eligible teams heading into
> > the final week of play, so six wins likely won't be
> > enough for an extra game this year. This means the
> > Cats have to come up with their best game of the year
> > to win at rival Illinois ? coming off their biggest
> > win in years ? next week to secure a postseason trip,
> > and even then it might not be a sure thing if other
> > upsets happen.
> >
> > But all that analysis ? and the continued beating of
> > the heads against the wall for letting Duke and Iowa
> > slip away at home ? can wait. For now it was a
> > wonderful scene for fans to see the Wildcat team head
> > over to the students and band to victoriously sing "Go
> > U Northwestern" one more time with the sound
> > reverberating throughout Ryan Field this year. Always
> > nice to go out on a win.
> >
> > GAME BALLS
> > * Our Seniors. Outside of the O-line and secondary,
> > the losses to graduation shouldn't hurt NU too much
> > next year. However, as they were being introduced, I
> > reflected on how much this group of seniors have had
> > to endure and how much they have meant to this
> > program. Two years ago on Senior Day, they were
> > celebrating with the rest as the Cats came back to
> > beat Iowa en route to a Sun Bowl berth and a bright
> > future. But with the tragedy of Coach Walker's death,
> > they had to grow up and become team leaders in a hurry
> > as juniors. There were some rough times, but two years
> > later they were able to walk off Ryan Field with a
> > comeback win  and bowl eligibility for their team.
> > It's important that this group of seniors would not
> > let NU's program slip back to the dark ages, much as
> > they would not let NU lose this game. To single a
> > couple out ?
> > * Kim Thompson. Big catches. Clutch catches.
> > Especially on third down on the winning drive. We'll
> > have a great group of receivers back next year, but
> > we'll still have big shoes to fill with Thompson's
> > leadership and composure in crunch time.
> > * Eddie Simpson. The whole defense was aggressive
> > today ? nice to see ? but this senior's interception
> > and return were a turning point in this game.
> >
> > THINGS TO WORK ON
> > * Turnovers. One pick wasn't C.J.'s fault, but the
> > other two were. They could have cost us dearly in the
> > first half as we squandered many opportunities to blow
> > this one open early.
> > * No more field goals. Period. From now on, if we get
> > it near midfield, it's four down territory.
> > * No more fades. Ever. Until we get a  6-6 wideout.
> > Overall the coaches did well today, but you still
> > cringed on that fade call or IU's touchdown where NU
> > gave no help on Hardy. Good aggression on D and
> > excellent job remembering to run in the fourth on
> > offense ? but still a long way to go.
> >
> > AROUND THE LEAGUE
> > * ILLINOIS deserves to be a top 20 team. This was not
> > OHIO STATE losing as much as it was ILLINOIS winning.
> > Amazing composure in keeping the ball out of OSU's
> > hands in the fourth quarter. Sad for the Big Ten to
> > see an extra BCS berth chance fade, but great to show
> > folks that like the SEC, we have great depth and
> > balance and are not as depleted as people think. Now
> > hopefully the Cats can catch the Zookers celebrating
> > next week and get a much-needed win to keep Sweet
> > Sioux.
> > * I had no idea of Mike Hart's playing or not playing,
> > or the time left, but when I saw the updates of
> > MICHIGAN at WISCONSIN and saw a 23-7 lead become 23-14
> > in the fourth quarter, all I could do was shake my
> > head and wonder why good ole Lloyd Carr didn't go for
> > two. Sure, there was a lot of time left, but without a
> > lot of starters in the 4th quarter on the road, you go
> > for two to make it a one possession game! They could
> > have tied it instead of making it 23-21 later ? but
> > still, nice win by the Badgers to defend home turf and
> > show why they're a top 25 team  as well.
> > * PENN STATE had a snoozer this week, but will
> > definitely need some style points next week in what
> > should be a wild race for the Florida New Year's bowls
> > between the Illini, Badgers, Nits and OSU/UM loser.
> > With only one BCS berth, the non-January bowls with
> > Big Ten ties are going to get some big-name teams.
> > * Was MICHIGAN STATE's win against PURDUE a cathartic
> > showing that they were finally not the old Sparty team
> > that folds like a lawnchair in November? Or was it
> > just Purdue's overrated self catching up to it? We'll
> > see next week. But you know that the Motor City Bowl
> > will be wearing a lot of green next week.
> > * Keep the pig! IOWA quietly has turned around its
> > season nicely and should win next week to get to 7
> > wins and a bowl berth.
> >
> > Always good to end with a win. While we'll be kicking
> > ourselves for weeks against the ones that got away
> > against Duke, Iowa and even Purdue and Michigan,
> > overall this has been a solid season. Coach Fitz has
> > started to leave more of his imprint on the team and
> > hopefully that continues with a more aggressive
> > defense (and a new DC?) next year. And McGee is
> > starting to learn how to best use the weapons he has
> > on offense and that will continue to be a lot next
> > year, especially if Brewer returns healthy. I smell a
> > whole gadget play section of the playbook!
> >
> > Like I said with the seniors, it's important to
> > realize that they helped hold this team together
> > through some tough times in the past two years and
> > after a year of transition last year, we're back to
> > where we need to be this year ? in the mix for bowl
> > contention. Next year we need to build of that success
> > and finish those victories off to get to 8, 9 or 10
> > wins consistently. With a  few changes on the
> > assistant staff, I think we're heading in that
> > direction.
> >
> > Also of note is that Fitz is now halfway to Walker's
> > mark of beating all of the Big Ten teams. He now has
> > victories over Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and
> > MSU. Of course, those last five look to be a bit
> > tougher and whether or not he gets them will really
> > show whether or not he's taken the Cats to that next
> > level during his coaching career.
> >
> > So good finish to the home season ? now let's finish
> > it out on the road. The Illini will hopefully be
> > looking ahead to a possible Zooker Bowl in Orlando
> > against Florida and celebrating their huge win. It
> > will be tough to contain Juice Williams and Mendenhall
> > without the turnovers the Illini had at the start of
> > the year. But it is a rivalry game, so throw those
> > records out, strap on the pads and let's go hit
> > someone. We play our in-state rival for a bowl berth
> > on the last weekend of the year ? can you ask for much
> > more?
> >
> > GO CATS!!!
> > -SjT
> >
> > * * * * * * * * *
> > STEPHEN J. TRUOG
> > sjtruog@yahoo.com
> > GO CATS!!!
> >
> > __________________________________________________
> > Do You Yahoo!?
> > Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> > http://mail.yahoo.com
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > nwu-sports site list
> > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com  Fri Nov 16 11:25:23 2007
From: jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com (Jeff Beamsley)
Date: Fri Nov 16 11:16:29 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] WILDCAT WRAP: Northwestern 31, Indiana 28
In-Reply-To: <fcb3ee270711121043h3f558ce8v88c6bdc7909a9631@mail.gmail.com>
References: <111220071835.1511.47389CFB000DBCAA000005E72216548686090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
	<fcb3ee270711121043h3f558ce8v88c6bdc7909a9631@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0933@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>

At least you can't blame the Bears, Sox, or Cubs for it this year.

Since I live in Michigan, I don't know how many NW games were available
locally, but there were precious few that we were able to see.  IMHO, seeing
NU play well on TV is going to do more than anything else to get butts into
the seats.  

Beyond that, it is all about marketing.  The juggernaut that is Michigan
football today is the direct result of Don Canham's innovative marketing.
When he came on board in 1968, Michigan was averaging around 50% attendance
too.  He hired Bo, scheduled the hated ND, promoted the rivalry with OSU,
replaced the grass with Astroturf, invented tailgating, sports marketing, and
all sorts of special events before during and after the games.  A lot of
people at the time thought that Canham was crazy, but he knew that the same
old stuff was not going to get the job done.  If NU wants to fill the seats
on Saturday, they need to think outside the box and find their own version of
Don Canham who will likely do stuff that will upset us too.

Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of Jonathan Hodges
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 1:44 PM
To: johnadeg@comcast.net
Cc: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] WILDCAT WRAP: Northwestern 31, Indiana 28

Attendance was listed at 20,466, the lowest attended Big Ten game at Ryan
Field in a long time (most likely into the 70's although I don't have
statistics going back nearly that far) - prior to that last year's Illinois
contest (just over 22,000) was the next lowest.

For reference, NU averaged 24,589 for its 7 home games in 2007, about 2,500
below the previous recent season average low (in 2002), which currently ranks
NU 85th nationally in average attendance on the year.  In fact, the total
attendance is lower than that in 2001, which had 2 fewer home games.
Also, on average, NU has only filled 52.17% of the seats this year.

Sure, winning goes a long way towards filling seats and we've talked the
attendance issue to death, but the final 2007 numbers are definitely
discouraging and show that something needs to be done.

Jonathan

On Nov 12, 2007 12:35 PM, <johnadeg@comcast.net> wrote:

> I don't know if Indiana had more fans at the game than NU did, but the 
> stadium looked like it was half empty.  That sure doesn't help in 
> trying to get a bowl bid.
>
> John DeGroat
>  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: "SjT (Stephen J. Truog)" <sjtruog@yahoo.com>
> > WILDCAT WRAP - NORTHWESTERN 31, INDIANA 28
> >
> > There are a lot of ways you could look at Northwestern's 31-28 
> > season home finale win over Indiana. It could be a team finally 
> > getting over that hump and learning to win games they need to finish 
> > when they have leads in the fourth quarter. It could be the Cats 
> > almost blowing another game they should have easily won with 
> > turnovers and mistakes. It could be a case of some gutsy 
> > performances from seniors and team leaders for the home finale. Or 
> > it could be just another exciting finish to a Northwestern football 
> > game in Ryan Field by the comeback Cats.
> >
> > But it might just be that Saturday's game will go down as the Replay 
> > Bowl. Several key plays - including two touchdowns (and what 
> > probably should have been a
> > third) - were held up while officials upstairs took an extra look to 
> > get the call right. And when a fumble appeared to end Indiana's 
> > final drive and give NU the victory, the Evanston crowd had to hold 
> > their breath while replay officials went to work before they could 
> > confirm the call on the field and celebrate the Senior Day victory.
> >
> > Northwestern came into the game after a heartbreaking home loss to 
> > Iowa last week in a game where NU dominated the first quarter and 
> > played well most of the game, but for the second straight week, a 
> > 17-14 NU lead at the end of three evaporated into a Wildcat loss. In 
> > fact, of the five Wildcat defeats this year, they were leading 
> > Michigan, Purdue and Iowa in the fourth and had four chances to win 
> > at the end against Duke. Only the Ohio State debacle was out of 
> > reach. So while no one doubted the Cats ability to comeback, their 
> > ability to finish out games they're leading was definitely called 
> > into question.
> >
> > The weather was a brisk Midwestern autumn day, perfect for the 
> > pigskin, and the Hoosiers brought quite a bit more fans than they 
> > usually do to Evanston. No doubt they were anticipating this game 
> > being win No. 7 that would make a long-awaited bowl bid all but 
> > certain.
> > The IU Marching Hundred band was also in attendance, making for a 
> > spirited afternoon. Though I must say, between their little march 
> > song for IU first downs (complete with odd hand gestures) and that 
> > blasted whistle for Purdue, you're gonna need to bring some earplugs 
> > to the old bucket game next week to leave with a sense of sanity. 
> > C'mon Marching Hundred, you have the INDIANA Jones march to play, 
> > why are you milking cows?
> >
> > The first quarter against started much like last week's first 
> > quarter except with different results.
> > Once again, Northwestern dominated the opening 15 minutes, 
> > controlling the clock, moving it up and down the field and 
> > dominating the total yardage on offense.
> > But the Cats had to settle for a field goal on their opening march 
> > and the Hoosiers didn't even need to put their offense on the field 
> > as the ensuing kick was returned 91 yards for a touchdown.
> >
> > Coming into the game, most purple-clad fans knew that Northwestern 
> > needed to finish the drive with "6 not 3"
> > and I was even willing to print up shirts saying "I HATE FIELD 
> > GOALS" given how kicks have been an, um, adventure this year. But 
> > the first 16 minutes of the game just made the point all the 
> > greater. Northwestern had the ball for 31 of the game's first 35 
> > plays. The defense even forced a 3-and-out after an interception 
> > where C.J. Bacher woefully underthrew a deep pass. But with IU's 
> > kick return and NU's drives stalling for a field goal and a missed 
> > field goal, the Cats were down
> > 3-7 at the start of the second quarter despite dominating every 
> > phase of the game outside of special teams.
> >
> > Things looked even worse when the Hoosiers finally woke up and drove 
> > down for a touchdown on their second possession. And despite a great 
> > burst up the middle by Tyrell Sutton, showing flashes of the No. 19 
> > NU fans know and love, moved the ball deep into IU territory, the 
> > Cats promptly squandered yet another scoring chance when a touchdown 
> > pass by Bacher bounced out of Ross Lane's hands and into an IU 
> > defender in the end zone.
> >
> > The Wildcats had had four offensive series, all marching to midfield 
> > or beyond, and had only three points. Two ended in field goal tries, 
> > while two ended in interceptions. NU fans were wondering what they 
> > had to do to score when something almost unheard of in recent 
> > Wildcat history happened.
> >
> > Indiana was driving off the turnover when quarterback Kellen Lewis 
> > was knocked out for a play. When backup Ben Chappell came in and 
> > made one throw, the NU defense made the interception and senior 
> > Eddie Simpson ran it back 40 yards for the touchdown. The teams 
> > exchanged punts until halftime and the Cats headed to the locker 
> > room down only 10-14, thanks to their defense.
> >
> > At halftime, the NU Marching Band put on a great show - once again 
> > bringing out "Rhapsody in Blue" for "American Airlines Day" at Ryan 
> > Field in a wonderfully sly slam on corporate sponsorship. Sadly, 
> > though, the usual "olde plus four" and senior recognition was rushed 
> > by time and the teams coming back on the field a bit early. In fact, 
> > the alma mater was performed at a brisk pace - quicker than the 
> > fight song is most days - to rush off the field in time. After all 
> > their hard work to make Saturdays special, the seniors in NUMB 
> > deserve a better send-off!
> >
> > Another quick editorial comment: The Wildcat defense played much 
> > better this game than in the past - more aggressive and more 
> > pressuring. Our front four were able to get consistent pressure on 
> > IU all day, and even if their line isn't as good as I thought, they 
> > still have one of the more mobile quarterbacks in Hardy who can 
> > scramble out of most jams. I am NOT trying to say Colby deserves to 
> > stay as defensive coordinator, though. For some reason, he refused 
> > to give Sherrick McManus any help all day on James Hardy.
> > I love McManis' enthusiasm and aggression, but Hardy is indeed every 
> > bit as good as advertised and had a huge height advantage all day. 
> > By putting McManus one-on-one and having no inside help when McManis 
> > had to play the fade down by the end zone, Hardy easily cut one in 
> > for a wide open score and could have done so all day if the Hoosiers 
> > had gone to him more.
> > Overall, he only had a quiet 100 yards or so - not nearly as bad as 
> > it could have been with our defensive game plan to not double cover 
> > the best receiver in the league. But we did come with more blitz 
> > schemes and got good pressure when only rushing the front line.
> >
> > But the game started to really get crazy in the second half. The 
> > officials really hadn't played much of a role in the game - not 
> > calling a lot both ways and staying out of it for the most part. But 
> > that usually commendable approach could not be tolerated any more on 
> > the first series of the second half when a scrambling Lewis - 
> > running toward the sideline with THE MARKER ON IT - took a couple 
> > steps over the line before hurling a 70-yard touchdown strike to 
> > break the game open again at 20-10 Indiana.
> >
> > To be honest, I didn't even see who caught it downfield or even know 
> > it was a TD until a bit later.
> > I was too stunned that with an official AND A MARKER right by the 
> > play, no one had thrown a flag for crossing the line. From midfield 
> > and sixty rows up, I could clearly see two steps past the line of 
> > scrimmage and pointed in stunned outrage, yelling for replay in 
> > disbelief that no flag had been thrown. Were these officials napping 
> > through the game? How could my so-so eyesight spot this so obviously 
> > while they missed it, I incredulously thought.
> >
> > Ten years ago, it would have just been an outrage post for the 
> > message boards afterwards, but thank goodness we have instant replay 
> > and they buzzed down in the nick of time. It was a huge turning 
> > point in the game as the play came on third down and when the folks 
> > upstairs finally got it right, it became a 14-point swing because 
> > the Cats drove down after the ensuing punt to take a 17-14 lead on 
> > Sutton's 1-yard plunge.
> >
> > After the Wildcat defense again forced a punt (a make-up replay 
> > reversal had given the Hoosiers one first down but they couldn't get 
> > another), the situation was all too familiar for NU fans. The Cats 
> > had the ball, up 17-14 in the second half. Against Purdue and Iowa, 
> > they had been in this situation many times and failed to get that 
> > "next score" that would put some distance between themselves and 
> > their opponent. But senior Kim Thompson stepped up this time to make 
> > sure his home finale would not be the third game in a row of blown 
> > opportunities. Thompson caught two key third down conversions to 
> > spur a drive that ended in a touchdown when senior Brandon Roberson 
> > turned a halfback option into a touchdown pass to a wide open 
> > Thompson in the end zone.
> >
> > The play was a great call and Thompson snuck behind the defense and 
> > could have set up camp in the end zone for a couple weeks before 
> > being detected. However, IU's defense forced a delay in the pass and 
> > tipped it enough that it took a fantastic catch by Thompson on the 
> > side of the end zone to get the score. Of course the play was 
> > reviewed, but this time the refs had made the right call on the lead 
> > and the Cats were up 28-17.
> > Finally, some breathing distance for Wildcat fans - were they 
> > learning to finish?
> >
> > The other great thing about this drive - and all of NU's possessions 
> > in the second half this week - was that they did not forget about 
> > the running game. In the Iowa and Purdue losses, Sutton rarely 
> > touched the ball. On Saturday, he was fed early and often on NU's 
> > drives. He didn't break any long, but it kept the Cats in manageable 
> > third downs and kept the defense honest against the run and pass.
> >
> > With just over a quarter left, however, NU fans knew this one was 
> > not over. Indiana finally seemed to realize that they had the Big 
> > Ten's best receiver in single coverage and used a couple big passes 
> > to Hardy to set up a touchdown to cut the lead back to three.
> > The touchdown itself probably should have been added to the replay 
> > list for the day. I was surprised no one challenged it. They didn't 
> > show a replay on the jumbotron, but it sure looked like it may have 
> > been slipping out as he dove for the end zone and barely crossed the 
> > line.
> >
> > In any case, the score stood and instead of being up 17-14, NU was 
> > now up 24-21 entering the final fifteen minutes. Bacher quickly 
> > drove the Cats downfield - aided by another big Thompson catch - and 
> > the Cats were facing 3rd and Goal at the Hoosier 3 yard line with 
> > just over 10 minutes left.
> >
> > As soon as they ran the play and before the ball was thrown, I 
> > yelled out the words I now wanted to print on a new T-shirt: "I HATE 
> > THE FADE." You can run a fade when you have a huge height edge like 
> > Hardy had.
> > You can run the fade when you have a great leaper. You can run it 
> > when you have a perfect throw or the far side of the field. 
> > Northwestern had none of those things. All I thought would happen 
> > was an incomplete and we'd have to go for it on 4th down ("NO MORE 
> > FIELD GOALS!" was another T-shirt idea) ... but it was worse.
> > Indiana intercepted it and with 10:19 remaining in the game, 
> > Northwestern's third interception gave Indiana a golden chance to 
> > take the lead and get that big bowl win.
> >
> > The Cats brought pressure and sacked Hardy once, but the next time 
> > he escaped with a big scramble and fueled a drive that ended with an 
> > easy Hardy touchdown. With no inside help and McManis having to play 
> > the fade, Hardy cut it in for a wide open score to put Indiana ahead 
> > 28-24 with six minutes remaining.
> >
> > Now was when the Cats had folded in the past two weeks, but not this 
> > time. Everything finally came together for play calling, Bacher and 
> > the entire offense as the Cats gave the home fans and seniors 
> > another thrilling finish. It's telling that the Cats had four sets 
> > of downs on the final drive and on each of the four first downs and 
> > four second downs, NU dialed up a rushing play. Big difference from 
> > the past couple weeks!
> >
> > Not only did the running game keep the defense honest and mix up the 
> > offense, it took a lot of time off the clock and surprisingly, the 
> > Hoosiers didn't empty their supply of timeouts to keep more left on 
> > the clock for a comeback drive. The balance finally paid off. On 3rd 
> > and 2 from the IU 3, everyone in the house was expecting a run. 
> > There was almost an audible gasp from the crowd when Bacher kept the 
> > ball and dropped back. Thankfully for the purple-clad fans, he 
> > zipped a perfect strike to Lane for the touchdown and with 44 
> > seconds left, NU topped their "magical mark" of 30 points that seems 
> > to determine wins and losses for the season to take the lead at 
> > 31-28.
> >
> > A poor kickoff out of bounds gave the Hoosiers one last chance and 
> > after a couple first downs moved Indiana within range of a couple 
> > Hail Mary's (and that was a scary thought for NU with Hardy on the 
> > field).
> > But the Wildcat pressure continued to be fierce and David Ngene came 
> > up with perhaps the play of the year to knock the ball free on a 
> > sack to seal the victory.
> > Of course, the play would be reviewed. But after what seemed like an 
> > endless wait for the fans in Ryan Field, the call stood and 
> > Northwestern had won its sixth game of the season and ended the home 
> > slate on an high note with a thrilling 31-28 victory.
> >
> > The Big Ten has 10 bowl eligible teams heading into the final week 
> > of play, so six wins likely won't be enough for an extra game this 
> > year. This means the Cats have to come up with their best game of 
> > the year to win at rival Illinois - coming off their biggest win in 
> > years - next week to secure a postseason trip, and even then it 
> > might not be a sure thing if other upsets happen.
> >
> > But all that analysis - and the continued beating of the heads 
> > against the wall for letting Duke and Iowa slip away at home - can 
> > wait. For now it was a wonderful scene for fans to see the Wildcat 
> > team head over to the students and band to victoriously sing "Go U 
> > Northwestern" one more time with the sound reverberating throughout 
> > Ryan Field this year. Always nice to go out on a win.
> >
> > GAME BALLS
> > * Our Seniors. Outside of the O-line and secondary, the losses to 
> > graduation shouldn't hurt NU too much next year. However, as they 
> > were being introduced, I reflected on how much this group of seniors 
> > have had to endure and how much they have meant to this program. Two 
> > years ago on Senior Day, they were celebrating with the rest as the 
> > Cats came back to beat Iowa en route to a Sun Bowl berth and a 
> > bright future. But with the tragedy of Coach Walker's death, they 
> > had to grow up and become team leaders in a hurry as juniors. There 
> > were some rough times, but two years later they were able to walk 
> > off Ryan Field with a comeback win  and bowl eligibility for their 
> > team.
> > It's important that this group of seniors would not let NU's program 
> > slip back to the dark ages, much as they would not let NU lose this 
> > game. To single a couple out ...
> > * Kim Thompson. Big catches. Clutch catches.
> > Especially on third down on the winning drive. We'll have a great 
> > group of receivers back next year, but we'll still have big shoes to 
> > fill with Thompson's leadership and composure in crunch time.
> > * Eddie Simpson. The whole defense was aggressive today - nice to 
> > see - but this senior's interception and return were a turning point 
> > in this game.
> >
> > THINGS TO WORK ON
> > * Turnovers. One pick wasn't C.J.'s fault, but the other two were. 
> > They could have cost us dearly in the first half as we squandered 
> > many opportunities to blow this one open early.
> > * No more field goals. Period. From now on, if we get it near 
> > midfield, it's four down territory.
> > * No more fades. Ever. Until we get a  6-6 wideout.
> > Overall the coaches did well today, but you still cringed on that 
> > fade call or IU's touchdown where NU gave no help on Hardy. Good 
> > aggression on D and excellent job remembering to run in the fourth 
> > on offense - but still a long way to go.
> >
> > AROUND THE LEAGUE
> > * ILLINOIS deserves to be a top 20 team. This was not OHIO STATE 
> > losing as much as it was ILLINOIS winning.
> > Amazing composure in keeping the ball out of OSU's hands in the 
> > fourth quarter. Sad for the Big Ten to see an extra BCS berth chance 
> > fade, but great to show folks that like the SEC, we have great depth 
> > and balance and are not as depleted as people think. Now hopefully 
> > the Cats can catch the Zookers celebrating next week and get a 
> > much-needed win to keep Sweet Sioux.
> > * I had no idea of Mike Hart's playing or not playing, or the time 
> > left, but when I saw the updates of MICHIGAN at WISCONSIN and saw a 
> > 23-7 lead become 23-14 in the fourth quarter, all I could do was 
> > shake my head and wonder why good ole Lloyd Carr didn't go for two. 
> > Sure, there was a lot of time left, but without a lot of starters in 
> > the 4th quarter on the road, you go for two to make it a one 
> > possession game! They could have tied it instead of making it 23-21 
> > later - but still, nice win by the Badgers to defend home turf and 
> > show why they're a top 25 team  as well.
> > * PENN STATE had a snoozer this week, but will definitely need some 
> > style points next week in what should be a wild race for the Florida 
> > New Year's bowls between the Illini, Badgers, Nits and OSU/UM loser.
> > With only one BCS berth, the non-January bowls with Big Ten ties are 
> > going to get some big-name teams.
> > * Was MICHIGAN STATE's win against PURDUE a cathartic showing that 
> > they were finally not the old Sparty team that folds like a 
> > lawnchair in November? Or was it just Purdue's overrated self 
> > catching up to it? We'll see next week. But you know that the Motor 
> > City Bowl will be wearing a lot of green next week.
> > * Keep the pig! IOWA quietly has turned around its season nicely and 
> > should win next week to get to 7 wins and a bowl berth.
> >
> > Always good to end with a win. While we'll be kicking ourselves for 
> > weeks against the ones that got away against Duke, Iowa and even 
> > Purdue and Michigan, overall this has been a solid season. Coach 
> > Fitz has started to leave more of his imprint on the team and 
> > hopefully that continues with a more aggressive defense (and a new 
> > DC?) next year. And McGee is starting to learn how to best use the 
> > weapons he has on offense and that will continue to be a lot next 
> > year, especially if Brewer returns healthy. I smell a whole gadget 
> > play section of the playbook!
> >
> > Like I said with the seniors, it's important to realize that they 
> > helped hold this team together through some tough times in the past 
> > two years and after a year of transition last year, we're back to 
> > where we need to be this year - in the mix for bowl contention. Next 
> > year we need to build of that success and finish those victories off 
> > to get to 8, 9 or 10 wins consistently. With a  few changes on the 
> > assistant staff, I think we're heading in that direction.
> >
> > Also of note is that Fitz is now halfway to Walker's mark of beating 
> > all of the Big Ten teams. He now has victories over Minnesota, Iowa, 
> > Illinois, Indiana and MSU. Of course, those last five look to be a 
> > bit tougher and whether or not he gets them will really show whether 
> > or not he's taken the Cats to that next level during his coaching 
> > career.
> >
> > So good finish to the home season - now let's finish it out on the 
> > road. The Illini will hopefully be looking ahead to a possible 
> > Zooker Bowl in Orlando against Florida and celebrating their huge 
> > win. It will be tough to contain Juice Williams and Mendenhall 
> > without the turnovers the Illini had at the start of the year. But 
> > it is a rivalry game, so throw those records out, strap on the pads 
> > and let's go hit someone. We play our in-state rival for a bowl 
> > berth on the last weekend of the year - can you ask for much more?
> >
> > GO CATS!!!
> > -SjT
> >
> > * * * * * * * * *
> > STEPHEN J. TRUOG
> > sjtruog@yahoo.com
> > GO CATS!!!
> >
> > __________________________________________________
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> > http://mail.yahoo.com
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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>
> _______________________________________________
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--
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
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From tbng at comcast.net  Fri Nov 16 13:52:56 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Fri Nov 16 13:43:12 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
References: <111220071835.1511.47389CFB000DBCAA000005E72216548686090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
	<fcb3ee270711121043h3f558ce8v88c6bdc7909a9631@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <001501c8288a$4845c8f0$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>

<Sure, winning goes a long way towards filling seats and we've talked the
attendance issue to death, but the final 2007 numbers are definitely
discouraging and show that something needs to be done.

A great team is the best answer.  Another is building a new stadium, even if 
it isn't any bigger than Ryan-Dyche.  Build it on campus, which makes it 
easier for students to get there, and provide adequate parking.  Take the 
lake if necessary and screw the tree-huggers.  Or in this case, the water 
foul. 

From MHRJGScott at aol.com  Fri Nov 16 14:49:54 2007
From: MHRJGScott at aol.com (MHRJGScott@aol.com)
Date: Fri Nov 16 14:44:19 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] WILDCAT WRAP: Northwestern 31, Indiana 28
Message-ID: <cce.1dbbf994.346f5c72@aol.com>

maybe we should encourage the admissions office to admit only students with  
an interest in Football as well as debate and theater 



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From whosonfirst81 at yahoo.com  Fri Nov 16 15:10:30 2007
From: whosonfirst81 at yahoo.com (Ben Adler)
Date: Fri Nov 16 15:00:37 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
Message-ID: <130585.917.qm@web60711.mail.yahoo.com>

Student attendance has always been distressingly low.  And starting in 2003 or '04 (I think - this happened just after I graduated), NU tacked on an extra athletic ticketing fee to every student's tuition bill.  In exchange, any student could get in for free to all sporting events (in all sports) by swiping their Wildcard.  So whatever's keeping students away, it's definitely not money.

But students are definitely not the only problem.  Even at the 2000 Michigan game, there was a lot of maize and blue in the crowd -- and that day, the student section sold out.

----- Original Message ----
From: Dennis W. Brandt <tbng@comcast.net>
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2007 11:52:56 AM
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance

<Sure, winning goes a long way towards filling seats and we've talked the
attendance issue to death, but the final 2007 numbers are definitely
discouraging and show that something needs to be done.

A great team is the best answer.  Another is building a new stadium, even if 
it isn't any bigger than Ryan-Dyche.  Build it on campus, which makes it 
easier for students to get there, and provide adequate parking.  Take the 
lake if necessary and screw the tree-huggers.  Or in this case, the water 
foul. 

_______________________________________________
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      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Never miss a thing.  Make Yahoo your home page. 
http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
From mlinhardt at netzero.net  Fri Nov 16 17:44:04 2007
From: mlinhardt at netzero.net (mlinhardt@netzero.net)
Date: Fri Nov 16 17:37:19 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
Message-ID: <20071116.174404.15671.0@webmail04.dca.untd.com>

Our student attendance is not the problem.  Proportionally we get more students at the game than any other Big Ten school, but we are just not that big.

Chicago is a Bears/Cubs town and except for the 70s with the Hawks and the Jordan years no other sport does very well.

I think we need to just accept attendance will always be somewhat marginal.  Maybe contract the stadium a bit or cover sections similar to what UCLA and USC do on games with low attendance.  Our season ticket prices are very reasonable and they have multiple great deals for endzone and young alumni.  Keep the single game tickets high, because most of that is "foreign" fans, but continue to have pairs of tickets "Michigan - Northeastern" for example.  A bye week would also be nice.  I know we burn out not have a week free in the fall. 

-- Ben Adler <whosonfirst81@yahoo.com> wrote:
Student attendance has always been distressingly low.  And starting in 2003 or '04 (I think - this happened just after I graduated), NU tacked on an extra athletic ticketing fee to every student's tuition bill.  In exchange, any student could get in for free to all sporting events (in all sports) by swiping their Wildcard.  So whatever's keeping students away, it's definitely not money.

But students are definitely not the only problem.  Even at the 2000 Michigan game, there was a lot of maize and blue in the crowd -- and that day, the student section sold out.

----- Original Message ----
From: Dennis W. Brandt <tbng@comcast.net>
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2007 11:52:56 AM
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance

<Sure, winning goes a long way towards filling seats and we've talked the
attendance issue to death, but the final 2007 numbers are definitely
discouraging and show that something needs to be done.

A great team is the best answer.  Another is building a new stadium, even if 
it isn't any bigger than Ryan-Dyche.  Build it on campus, which makes it 
easier for students to get there, and provide adequate parking.  Take the 
lake if necessary and screw the tree-huggers.  Or in this case, the water 
foul. 

_______________________________________________
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From WildElk2 at aol.com  Fri Nov 16 20:49:32 2007
From: WildElk2 at aol.com (WildElk2@aol.com)
Date: Fri Nov 16 20:43:23 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
Message-ID: <d3e.1951998d.346fb0bc@aol.com>

Master of the Obvious Dept.: The 12 game schedule has made it  more difficult 
to get decent crowds, although Mark Murphy is on record that he  will take a 
win at home in front of 15,000, as he feels that more wins will  eventually 
equal more people.
   With the BTN,  there may be more flexibility of starting  times.  Maybe we 
can  ask the BTN for more 2:30 PM games (as well as  an occasional night 
game)?  11:00 AM kick-offs have to keep at least a few  people away.  The Duke 
game is perfect example, as it produced  6,7,000 more than the 
Northeastern/Nevada games.
   Get a series with Northern Ill..  A five year series with  3 games in 
Evanston.  This would help both programs , who struggle with  early season 
attendance issues.
   Schedule a "home" game outside of Dyche Stadium. This is not a  paycheck 
game like the one we disgustingly played vs. Ohio St. at Cleveland  Municipal 
Stadium in the early Nineties.   There are plenty of small  stadiums across the 
country that hold 20,000-25,000.  An example would be  Hershey Park Stadium 
in Hershey, Pa., which holds 20,000.  In 2009 we play  Towson; a perfect game 
to make it easy for east coast alums and  fans.   Notre Dame is playing "home" 
games in San Antonio and  Jacksonville in the near future.
   On the day of the game, if we have a 20,000-25,000 ish crowd,  sell the 
end zone  and goal-line seats for $5, and advertise the hell out  of it via 
newspapers, radio, TV.   Just get people here; they'll buy  hot dogs, programs, 
and once in a while, they'll get a junkie hooked like me,  who paid $4 for end 
zone seats circa. 1980.   In the same vein, bring  back Band Day and sell all 
those crappy seats for a $1 for each band  member.  
   Crowds(?) of 16,000, 17,000, and 20,000 for a conference game  is 
unacceptable.   Time to take steps to change.
   As far as the Illinois game, I anticipate a hard-hitting  nail-biter, but 
I'm picking Illinois to win, as after 4 straight wins, it's  Illinois's turn.  
They will not take us lightly, and after 4 straight  losses and so much on 
the line, I see no let-down.  We need to stop the  run, period.  With that said, 
I see a 31-27 Illinois win.    If we can stop the run , we'll give ourselves 
a chance to win.
 
    GO CATS!!!    Eric
   



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From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Fri Nov 16 23:33:52 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Fri Nov 16 23:23:55 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] I see an 8th Bowl spot slipping away...
In-Reply-To: <111620071339.5468.473D9D960005C7E70000155C2216566276090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <349852.88630.qm@web52911.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

> > Does it seem like there are there fewer NU games
> (and possibly fewer Big 
> > 10 games in general) being relegated to the Big 10
> Network at this point 
> > in the season?  

Dunno about fewer games overall - they have 3 of the 6
this weekend. But yes, fewer NU games.

Probably because of the shuffle to make sure that each
team appears so many times on the BTN each season (I
believe it's at least 3 times and at least 1
conference game?) and we've filled our quota.

I'd like to see them spread out the games time-wise
more, though. I know we can't take the ABC afternoon
slot, but some more evening games besides Minnesota
would be nice. As we've seen at Happy Valley,
Champaign, Madison and Iowa City this year, the Big
Ten atmosphere really comes alive under the lights!

We even saw a little hardball with the OSU-Wisky game
on the BTN. Not as ballsy as the NFL's move to put
Dallas-Green Bay on the NFLN, but still a shot at
cable.

Hey, all I know is that I was able to see every NU
game this year either in person or live on TV. That's
GREAT!

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!


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From JHCCLARK at aol.com  Sat Nov 17 10:05:39 2007
From: JHCCLARK at aol.com (JHCCLARK@aol.com)
Date: Sat Nov 17 09:59:39 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Old Attendance Stats
Message-ID: <0ED52A99.25527646.006D6456@aol.com>

I'd like to dig a little deeper into the attendance issue (for some reason I'm interested).

Does anybody know where I could find individual game attendance statistics going back into the 1970s?  1960s?

Jeff Clark
JHCClark@aol.com

From Martinitis at aol.com  Sat Nov 17 10:48:03 2007
From: Martinitis at aol.com (Martinitis@aol.com)
Date: Sat Nov 17 10:41:54 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Michigan
Message-ID: <bcd.1a400a48.34707543@aol.com>

Who should we be rooting for today, Michigan or Ohio State?  Is there still 
any scenario where we can get 2 teams into the BCS?  



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From khaderach at sbcglobal.net  Sat Nov 17 12:03:50 2007
From: khaderach at sbcglobal.net (Bryan Bowser)
Date: Sat Nov 17 11:53:52 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
Message-ID: <42385.46105.qm@web80812.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

As a long-time season ticket holder, I think a winning team will certainly help, but the game times are also very important. With many people having to travel from the edges of Chicagoland or other nearby cities, a season of 11:00 games is rough. After staying up late Friday night preparing food and supplies for  the tailgate, I'm up at 5:00 AM every gameday to make the trek, but I have a difficult time convincing others to join me. I'm another vote for more 2:30 games. 

- Wildcat Bryan

----- Original Message ----
From: Dennis W. Brandt <tbng@comcast.net>
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2007 1:52:56 PM
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance

<Sure, winning goes a long way towards filling seats and we've talked the
attendance issue to death, but the final 2007 numbers are definitely
discouraging and show that something needs to be done.

A great team is the best answer.  Another is building a new stadium, even if 
it isn't any bigger than Ryan-Dyche.  Build it on campus, which makes it 
easier for students to get there, and provide adequate parking.  Take the 
lake if necessary and screw the tree-huggers.  Or in this case, the water 
foul. 

_______________________________________________
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From khaderach at sbcglobal.net  Sat Nov 17 13:18:20 2007
From: khaderach at sbcglobal.net (Bryan Bowser)
Date: Sat Nov 17 13:08:21 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] The indignity of it...
Message-ID: <821596.6658.qm@web80803.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

OK, it's third quarter, we're losing big, but still...

Hailtopurple has already posted the following:

Illini Stomp 'Cats
UI Captures the Tomahawk


The Wildcats' 2007 season has come to a close.  Unfortunately, it has closed with a blowout loss to Illinois, in which NU seemed woefully overmatched and unprepared.

For the year, however, Northwestern, in the second year of Coach Fitzgerald's tenure, continued to make significant improvement.  The team secured its fifth season out of the last eight in which it notched six or more wins.

From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Sat Nov 17 14:59:45 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Sat Nov 17 14:49:50 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] PIGSKIN PICKS - Week 13
Message-ID: <928180.72666.qm@web52911.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

Sorry for the lack of standings, but that will
probably continue for a little while at least. We got
some sad news early this morning as my grandpa,
Herbert Totzke, passed away in Michigan. The shocking
part is that last weekend we flew in on a red-eye for
the IU game and drove out to SW Michigan to meet him
for a quick visit and breakfast and he looked better
than ever.

Anyway, I'll be out of town and out of e-mail contact
for the next week while we travel back to the midwest
and I suspect a lot of people will be gone for the
holiday, so I wanted to get these out early. Guess I'm
just finding something to do during the wait and the
NU game sure isn't helping time pass much.:(

Picks due by kickoff Thursday ...

PIGSKIN PICKS - WEEK 13
#######################
Name: 

NATIONAL
========
Game  1: Southern Cal @ Arizona St.
Winner : 

Game  2: Arkansas @ Louisiana State
Winner : 

Game  3: Texas @ Texas A&M
Winner : 

Game  4: Boise State @ Hawaii
Winner : 

Game  5: Florida State @ Florida
Winner : 

Game  6: Georgia @ Georgia Tech
Winner : 

Game  7: Clemson @ South Carolina
Winner : 

Game  8: Alabama @ Auburn
Winner : 

Game  9: Virginia Tech @ Virginia
Winner : 

Game 10: Tennessee @ Kentucky
Winner : 

MY PICKS
========
* ARIZONA ST. 30, Southern Cal 24 - Should be a dandy
in the desert as Oregon's loss opened things up for
the Devils and they don't disappoint at home.

* LSU 41, Arkansas 21 - The Tigers avoid the BCS trap
in the rivalry game.

* TEXAS A&M 24, Texas 21 - Small upset here as the
Horns have been living dangerously and the Aggies give
Coach Fran a final sendoff to spoil their rivals' BCS
hopes.

* HAWAII 49, Boise State 42 - Should be a fun one as
this year's BCS buster beats last year's ... now the
Warriors gotta see if they can duplicate BSU's bowl
win.

* FLORIDA 47, Florida St. 30 - One thing Meyer knows
how to do (besides beat Mack Brown at a poll whining
contest) is beat rival schools.

* GEORGIA 30, Georgia Tech 17 - No upset here as the
Dawgs can smell the BCS.

* CLEMSON 23, South Carolina 21 - Could be an upset
here, but I'll take the Tigers who are going against
type to end this season strong.

* AUBURN 21, Alabama 14 - If this is indeed
Tuberville's farewell, Auburn fans better enjoy one
last chance to beat Bama for awhile.

* VIRGINIA TECH 26, Virginia 20 - The Cavs have lived
dangerously all year and could pull an upset, but the
Hokies are the better team and get to the ACC title
game to make it an intriguing game for once vs.
Clemson.

* KENTUCKY 34, Tennessee 30 - If the Vols don't choke
away their SEC lead this week, they will for Woodson's
home finale.

Remember, picks in by kickoff Thursday.
Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving.

- Stephen

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!


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From tbng at comcast.net  Sat Nov 17 15:24:49 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Sat Nov 17 15:15:05 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Cat report card
Message-ID: <000c01c82960$49a61700$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>

Before the first game, I offered a pre-season report card by position.  Time to compare my final evaluation with my predictions.  The first grade listed was the predicted value, and the second is the end-of-season value.


OL - C+/D  They were often manhandled.  Given there were three seniors, they were a disappointment. 

QB - C+/C-   LOTS of yards passing but WAY too many interceptions (19), bad passes, fumbles, and struggles with the rush.  He can still be a "B" quarterback, maybe even A-, but he has to stop making so many errors.

RB - A-/C-  Sutton's injury hurt, and he wasn't dominant when he returned either.  The OL wasn't opening giant holes.

WR - C/B-  Peterman is a tough, clutch possession receiver.  In fact, they were all good possession receivers who played better than I thought they would.  But they lack a deep threat, a stud, and anyone who can get yards after catch.

DL - C/F  They did improve slightly against the run but not enough.  John Gill is the lone bright spot in this group, but the ends did not cut it.  It was another year without a pass rush.  Wooten had one sack all year, and Ngene had five.  As usual, the DL was the weakest portion of the team and the principle reason we were not better than .500.

  
LB - C/C  They were average.  Kadela did yeoman's work at middle linebacker, and the OLBs were not fast enough.

 

TE - nr/C We actually have one, what little we saw of him, and he appears to be a decent receiver.


DB - B-/D  The play of the DLs hurt, but these guys did not cover well and sometimes not at all.  They can't play off blocks on runs and screens.  This group was the biggest disappointment to me.

ST - I/C

KR - C+  Our kick returns weren't bad and included one TD.

P -    B    Punting was generally effective, if ugly to watch.

PR - D-   What punt returns?

PK - C    Improved but still doesn't scare anyone.

KO - F   Just kick the damn thing out-of-bounds

Depth - D/D+  What else is new?  

 
Coaching - B-/C  I  know some of you hate the coordinators, but I still don't think they are the problem, although the defensive coaches probably should go.  Fitz seemed to have it more together this season.  But coaching success depends on the caliber of player on the field.  Ask Ron Zook.  The big issue will be how well they can recruit.

Intangibles - C/D  While they never gave up and won three late, they also failed to win three more games in which they were ahead in the final quarter and lost one more against a weaker Duke team.  The seats remained largely empty and those filled were largely from the opposition.

 

Prognosis - The bottom line is what it always has been:  Insufficient talent, especially on defense.  Losing three seniors from the offensive line and the return of a mediocre defensive line, I am not optimistic that next season will be any better barring some super frosh arrivals, but I will not be holding my breath.  I believe Bacher and Sutton will be better if the OL will support them.  There HAS to be a new era of recruiting, but with our facilities, puny little stadium, academic standards, and weak fan support, I don't see that happening.  May I please be wrong about that.
From CHerron604 at aol.com  Sat Nov 17 18:20:09 2007
From: CHerron604 at aol.com (CHerron604@aol.com)
Date: Sat Nov 17 18:14:00 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Michigan
Message-ID: <cca.1fdd1505.3470df39@aol.com>

Ohio beating Michigan is probably slightly better for the conference, but  
probably cannot help our (non-existant) bowl hopes any.  OSU came into the  
weekend ranked #7, but #2 Oregon has already fallen to Arizona, and #3/4/5  
Kansas/Missouri/Oklahoma all play each other in the next 2 weeks  (Kansas/Missouri 
next week, then PROBABLY the winner vs Oklahoma in the Big 12  title game), so 
two of them will probably fall.  Right now, LSU is beating  Ole Miss, but it's 
close.  They could get knocked-out in the SEC title  game.  In short, OSU is 
#7 now (actually #6), and if they could rise to #2,  and get into the National 
Championship game, the Rose Bowl "MIGHT" go with a Big  Ten team to honor the 
age-old ties (like they did the last time OSU played in  the title game).  
Would the Rose Bowl try and grab Illinois ?   Michigan would seem to be out with 
a 2-game losing streak.
 
All of this 'what if' stuff is why we should never go to a D-I  playoff.  
Unfortunately, none of this seems to help a 6-6 team very  much.
 
Chuck Herron   Tech '85



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From johnadeg at comcast.net  Sat Nov 17 18:53:13 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Sat Nov 17 18:43:25 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Cat report card
Message-ID: <111820070053.14666.473F8CF9000615B40000394A2215586394090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

Colby has to go. Also, Fitz should put up the Duke score in the locker room to remind all of the players coming back that by not finishing against a poor team, it cost not only the returning players but the seniors as well a bowl bid.   Nu has th players to get to a bowl game next year especially if they hire a defensive coordinator who can teach tackling and speical team skills.
  Everything considered, Fitz did a great job this year.
John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Dennis W. Brandt" <tbng@comcast.net>
> Before the first game, I offered a pre-season report card by position.  Time to 
> compare my final evaluation with my predictions.  The first grade listed was the 
> predicted value, and the second is the end-of-season value.
> 
> 
> OL - C+/D  They were often manhandled.  Given there were three seniors, they 
> were a disappointment. 
> 
> QB - C+/C-   LOTS of yards passing but WAY too many interceptions (19), bad 
> passes, fumbles, and struggles with the rush.  He can still be a "B" 
> quarterback, maybe even A-, but he has to stop making so many errors.
> 
> RB - A-/C-  Sutton's injury hurt, and he wasn't dominant when he returned 
> either.  The OL wasn't opening giant holes.
> 
> WR - C/B-  Peterman is a tough, clutch possession receiver.  In fact, they were 
> all good possession receivers who played better than I thought they would.  But 
> they lack a deep threat, a stud, and anyone who can get yards after catch.
> 
> DL - C/F  They did improve slightly against the run but not enough.  John Gill 
> is the lone bright spot in this group, but the ends did not cut it.  It was 
> another year without a pass rush.  Wooten had one sack all year, and Ngene had 
> five.  As usual, the DL was the weakest portion of the team and the principle 
> reason we were not better than .500.
> 
>   
> LB - C/C  They were average.  Kadela did yeoman's work at middle linebacker, and 
> the OLBs were not fast enough.
> 
>  
> 
> TE - nr/C We actually have one, what little we saw of him, and he appears to be 
> a decent receiver.
> 
> 
> DB - B-/D  The play of the DLs hurt, but these guys did not cover well and 
> sometimes not at all.  They can't play off blocks on runs and screens.  This 
> group was the biggest disappointment to me.
> 
> ST - I/C
> 
> KR - C+  Our kick returns weren't bad and included one TD.
> 
> P -    B    Punting was generally effective, if ugly to watch.
> 
> PR - D-   What punt returns?
> 
> PK - C    Improved but still doesn't scare anyone.
> 
> KO - F   Just kick the damn thing out-of-bounds
> 
> Depth - D/D+  What else is new?  
> 
>  
> Coaching - B-/C  I  know some of you hate the coordinators, but I still don't 
> think they are the problem, although the defensive coaches probably should go.  
> Fitz seemed to have it more together this season.  But coaching success depends 
> on the caliber of player on the field.  Ask Ron Zook.  The big issue will be how 
> well they can recruit.
> 
> Intangibles - C/D  While they never gave up and won three late, they also failed 
> to win three more games in which they were ahead in the final quarter and lost 
> one more against a weaker Duke team.  The seats remained largely empty and those 
> filled were largely from the opposition.
> 
>  
> 
> Prognosis - The bottom line is what it always has been:  Insufficient talent, 
> especially on defense.  Losing three seniors from the offensive line and the 
> return of a mediocre defensive line, I am not optimistic that next season will 
> be any better barring some super frosh arrivals, but I will not be holding my 
> breath.  I believe Bacher and Sutton will be better if the OL will support them.  
> There HAS to be a new era of recruiting, but with our facilities, puny little 
> stadium, academic standards, and weak fan support, I don't see that happening.  
> May I please be wrong about that.
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From neonrye at aol.com  Sat Nov 17 18:56:18 2007
From: neonrye at aol.com (neonrye@aol.com)
Date: Sat Nov 17 18:47:22 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Cat report card
In-Reply-To: <000c01c82960$49a61700$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
References: <000c01c82960$49a61700$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
Message-ID: <8C9F794F69236E5-960-689F@WEBMAIL-MA02.sysops.aol.com>


A tough day all around.? I have to report the disappointing news that my son David's team lost 2-1 in OT in our State Championship semi-finals.? Then I take a look at my Blackberry and see the 'Cats are down 28-7.?? Eventually, I return to our hotel to check out, which is what NU was doing, too, on ESPN.? I can say "Wait Until Next Year" for the 'Cats, but David is graduating, so this was it for him and his teammates.

Paul Levinson

-----Original Message-----
From: Dennis W. Brandt <tbng@comcast.net>
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Sent: Sat, 17 Nov 2007 4:24 pm
Subject: [NU Sports] Cat report card



Before the first game, I offered a pre-season report card by position.  Time to 
compare my final evaluation with my predictions.  The first grade listed was the 
predicted value, and the second is the end-of-season value.


OL - C+/D  They were often manhandled.  Given there were three seniors, they 
were a disappointment. 

QB - C+/C-   LOTS of yards passing but WAY too many interceptions (19), bad 
passes, fumbles, and struggles with the rush.  He can still be a "B" 
quarterback, maybe even A-, but he has to stop making so many errors.

RB - A-/C-  Sutton's injury hurt, and he wasn't dominant when he returned 
either.  The OL wasn't opening giant holes.

WR - C/B-  Peterman is a tough, clutch possession receiver.  In fact, they were 
all good possession receivers who played better than I thought they would.  But 
they lack a deep threat, a stud, and anyone who can get yards after catch.

DL - C/F  They did improve slightly against the run but not enough.  John Gill 
is the lone bright spot in this group, but the ends did not cut it.  It was 
another year without a pass rush.  Wooten had one sack all year, and Ngene had 
five.  As usual, the DL was the weakest portion of the team and the principle 
reason we were not better than .500.

  
LB - C/C  They were average.  Kadela did yeoman's work at middle linebacker, and 
the OLBs were not fast enough.

 

TE - nr/C We actually have one, what little we saw of him, and he appears to be 
a decent receiver.


DB - B-/D  The play of the DLs hurt, but these guys did not cover well and 
sometimes not at all.  They can't play off blocks on runs and screens.  This 
group was the biggest disappointment to me.

ST - I/C

KR - C+  Our kick returns weren't bad and included one TD.

P -    B    Punting was generally effective, if ugly to watch.

PR - D-   What punt returns?

PK - C    Improved but still doesn't scare anyone.

KO - F   Just kick the damn thing out-of-bounds

Depth - D/D+  What else is new?  

 
Coaching - B-/C  I  know some of you hate the coordinators, but I still don't 
think they are the problem, although the defensive coaches probably should go.  
Fitz seemed to have it more together this season.  But coaching success depends 
on the caliber of player on the field.  Ask Ron Zook.  The big issue will be how 
well they can recruit.

Intangibles - C/D  While they never gave up and won three late, they also failed 
to win three more games in which they were ahead in the final quarter and lost 
one more against a weaker Duke team.  The seats remained largely empty and those 
filled were largely from the opposition.

 

Prognosis - The bottom line is what it always has been:  Insufficient talent, 
especially on defense.  Losing three seniors from the offensive line and the 
return of a mediocre defensive line, I am not optimistic that next season will 
be any better barring some super frosh arrivals, but I will not be holding my 
breath.  I believe Bacher and Sutton will be better if the OL will support them.  
There HAS to be a new era of recruiting, but with our facilities, puny little 
stadium, academic standards, and weak fan support, I don't see that happening.  
May I please be wrong about that.
_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports


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From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Sat Nov 17 20:36:00 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Sat Nov 17 20:26:12 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
In-Reply-To: <d3e.1951998d.346fb0bc@aol.com>
References: <d3e.1951998d.346fb0bc@aol.com>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711171836y5085438fua01c70526ef4ff17@mail.gmail.com>

Some good ideas - obviously some new and fresh ideas are needed to address
this issue, because outside of winning a lot of games year in and year out,
the old stuff isn't working.  I would like to address some the things that
you brought up, though:

- Starting times: it's all in the hands of the networks, and the agreement
with ESPN says that no BTN games can be opposite the "marquee" ABC matchup
of the day (typically the 2:30 slot, but in the case of the OSU/Michigan
game it's noon).  ESPN/ABC gets their pick(s) first, and the BTN has to
schedule their games around those games, giving the Big Ten and specifically
Northwestern little control in regards to time of games.

- Northern Illinois: NIU is now insisting on home-and-home series games (NU
has never played NIU away from home), which I don't think NU is willing to
do.  Maybe if it was 2 for one or better, NU may go for it, but Murphy
insists on having 7 home games (something I don't disagree with) and
home-and-home series against MAC level competition won't let NU get there.

- "Home" game away from Ryan Field: a bad idea and won't do anything for
numbers outside of on paper, especially since renting a facility and dealing
with travel, etc. won't really make NU any money.  And I completely disagree
with the idea of selling out by moving a home game closer to an opponent as
an attempt to get more fans - in that case don't even try to get home games.

- Day of Game discounts: GREAT idea.  This is a college (amateur level)
sport.  A $50 tag drives away almost every casual fan family who can't
afford that steep price - oh, and once they get to the game there's no money
left for the pricey concessions.  Especially for nonconference games, NU
needs to play with the prices (bring them down A LOT) to attract people to
the game.  The fact is that it can't hurt, NU saw TWO games this year under
20,000 in attendance with another THREE just over 20,000.

Anyways, not trying to shoot down any idea, the fact is NU needs a new
well-thought-out strategy regarding attendance and filling the seats.  I
would hope that this discussion is starting in the athletic department
shortly, and IMHO it would be advisable to include NU fans in the discussion
(maybe a town hall type format or an internet exchange).

Jonathan


On Nov 16, 2007 8:49 PM, <WildElk2@aol.com> wrote:

> Master of the Obvious Dept.: The 12 game schedule has made it  more
> difficult
> to get decent crowds, although Mark Murphy is on record that he  will take
> a
> win at home in front of 15,000, as he feels that more wins will
>  eventually
> equal more people.
>   With the BTN,  there may be more flexibility of starting  times.  Maybe
> we
> can  ask the BTN for more 2:30 PM games (as well as  an occasional night
> game)?  11:00 AM kick-offs have to keep at least a few  people away.  The
> Duke
> game is perfect example, as it produced  6,7,000 more than the
> Northeastern/Nevada games.
>   Get a series with Northern Ill..  A five year series with  3 games in
> Evanston.  This would help both programs , who struggle with  early season
>
> attendance issues.
>   Schedule a "home" game outside of Dyche Stadium. This is not a  paycheck
> game like the one we disgustingly played vs. Ohio St. at Cleveland
>  Municipal
> Stadium in the early Nineties.   There are plenty of small  stadiums
> across the
> country that hold 20,000-25,000.  An example would be  Hershey Park
> Stadium
> in Hershey, Pa., which holds 20,000.  In 2009 we play  Towson; a perfect
> game
> to make it easy for east coast alums and  fans.   Notre Dame is playing
> "home"
> games in San Antonio and  Jacksonville in the near future.
>   On the day of the game, if we have a 20,000-25,000 ish crowd,  sell the
> end zone  and goal-line seats for $5, and advertise the hell out  of it
> via
> newspapers, radio, TV.   Just get people here; they'll buy  hot dogs,
> programs,
> and once in a while, they'll get a junkie hooked like me,  who paid $4 for
> end
> zone seats circa. 1980.   In the same vein, bring  back Band Day and sell
> all
> those crappy seats for a $1 for each band  member.
>   Crowds(?) of 16,000, 17,000, and 20,000 for a conference game  is
> unacceptable.   Time to take steps to change.
>   As far as the Illinois game, I anticipate a hard-hitting  nail-biter,
> but
> I'm picking Illinois to win, as after 4 straight wins, it's  Illinois's
> turn.
> They will not take us lightly, and after 4 straight  losses and so much on
> the line, I see no let-down.  We need to stop the  run, period.  With that
> said,
> I see a 31-27 Illinois win.    If we can stop the run , we'll give
> ourselves
> a chance to win.
>
>    GO CATS!!!    Eric
>
>
>
>
> ************************************** See what's new at
> http://www.aol.com
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From MHRJGScott at aol.com  Sat Nov 17 21:08:22 2007
From: MHRJGScott at aol.com (MHRJGScott@aol.com)
Date: Sat Nov 17 21:02:20 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
Message-ID: <d4a.1827738e.347106a6@aol.com>

2 comments and one observation 
1) congrats to Illinois  on a great season, I have never felt  they were a 
bad rival, but maybe Zookism will change that.
2) I have suggested before that the marketing geniuses at Kellogg come up  
with a marketing plan for football which may include my observation. Which  is:
3) now I am one of the most liberal listers but, you could see in the  zook's 
physical players and in the stands that zook has got Illinois to recruit  in 
the minority community and blue collar groups and had them be a part of  the 
new way of wining football games, like tOSU and Iowa have done, If our  
administration and faculty don't let us recruit "athletic types" (code words) we  can 
almost never compete.



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From michael.vance at att.net  Sat Nov 17 23:51:16 2007
From: michael.vance at att.net (Michael Vance)
Date: Sat Nov 17 23:41:54 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
In-Reply-To: <fcb3ee270711171836y5085438fua01c70526ef4ff17@mail.gmail.com>
References: <d3e.1951998d.346fb0bc@aol.com>
	<fcb3ee270711171836y5085438fua01c70526ef4ff17@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <473FD2D4.90903@att.net>

Are the rules regarding the scheduling of games opposite ABC published 
somewhere? Because today there were two Big Ten games at 12:00 EST 
(Mich-OSU on ABC and NU-Ill on EPSN) and four at 3:30 (MSU-PSU on 
ABC/ESPN regional coverage, and the rest on BTN.  Was our game allowed 
opposite Mich-OSU because it was on another ABC network?

Also, didn't I read something about BTN getting second pick some weeks?

I agree that more late starts would help attendance a lot for NU and 
other Central time teams.

-Michael

Jonathan Hodges wrote:
> Some good ideas - obviously some new and fresh ideas are needed to address
> this issue, because outside of winning a lot of games year in and year out,
> the old stuff isn't working.  I would like to address some the things that
> you brought up, though:
>
> - Starting times: it's all in the hands of the networks, and the agreement
> with ESPN says that no BTN games can be opposite the "marquee" ABC matchup
> of the day (typically the 2:30 slot, but in the case of the OSU/Michigan
> game it's noon).  ESPN/ABC gets their pick(s) first, and the BTN has to
> schedule their games around those games, giving the Big Ten and specifically
> Northwestern little control in regards to time of games.
>
> - Northern Illinois: NIU is now insisting on home-and-home series games (NU
> has never played NIU away from home), which I don't think NU is willing to
> do.  Maybe if it was 2 for one or better, NU may go for it, but Murphy
> insists on having 7 home games (something I don't disagree with) and
> home-and-home series against MAC level competition won't let NU get there.
>
> - "Home" game away from Ryan Field: a bad idea and won't do anything for
> numbers outside of on paper, especially since renting a facility and dealing
> with travel, etc. won't really make NU any money.  And I completely disagree
> with the idea of selling out by moving a home game closer to an opponent as
> an attempt to get more fans - in that case don't even try to get home games.
>
> - Day of Game discounts: GREAT idea.  This is a college (amateur level)
> sport.  A $50 tag drives away almost every casual fan family who can't
> afford that steep price - oh, and once they get to the game there's no money
> left for the pricey concessions.  Especially for nonconference games, NU
> needs to play with the prices (bring them down A LOT) to attract people to
> the game.  The fact is that it can't hurt, NU saw TWO games this year under
> 20,000 in attendance with another THREE just over 20,000.
>
> Anyways, not trying to shoot down any idea, the fact is NU needs a new
> well-thought-out strategy regarding attendance and filling the seats.  I
> would hope that this discussion is starting in the athletic department
> shortly, and IMHO it would be advisable to include NU fans in the discussion
> (maybe a town hall type format or an internet exchange).
>
> Jonathan
>
>
> On Nov 16, 2007 8:49 PM, <WildElk2@aol.com> wrote:
>
>   
>> Master of the Obvious Dept.: The 12 game schedule has made it  more
>> difficult
>> to get decent crowds, although Mark Murphy is on record that he  will take
>> a
>> win at home in front of 15,000, as he feels that more wins will
>>  eventually
>> equal more people.
>>   With the BTN,  there may be more flexibility of starting  times.  Maybe
>> we
>> can  ask the BTN for more 2:30 PM games (as well as  an occasional night
>> game)?  11:00 AM kick-offs have to keep at least a few  people away.  The
>> Duke
>> game is perfect example, as it produced  6,7,000 more than the
>> Northeastern/Nevada games.
>>   Get a series with Northern Ill..  A five year series with  3 games in
>> Evanston.  This would help both programs , who struggle with  early season
>>
>> attendance issues.
>>   Schedule a "home" game outside of Dyche Stadium. This is not a  paycheck
>> game like the one we disgustingly played vs. Ohio St. at Cleveland
>>  Municipal
>> Stadium in the early Nineties.   There are plenty of small  stadiums
>> across the
>> country that hold 20,000-25,000.  An example would be  Hershey Park
>> Stadium
>> in Hershey, Pa., which holds 20,000.  In 2009 we play  Towson; a perfect
>> game
>> to make it easy for east coast alums and  fans.   Notre Dame is playing
>> "home"
>> games in San Antonio and  Jacksonville in the near future.
>>   On the day of the game, if we have a 20,000-25,000 ish crowd,  sell the
>> end zone  and goal-line seats for $5, and advertise the hell out  of it
>> via
>> newspapers, radio, TV.   Just get people here; they'll buy  hot dogs,
>> programs,
>> and once in a while, they'll get a junkie hooked like me,  who paid $4 for
>> end
>> zone seats circa. 1980.   In the same vein, bring  back Band Day and sell
>> all
>> those crappy seats for a $1 for each band  member.
>>   Crowds(?) of 16,000, 17,000, and 20,000 for a conference game  is
>> unacceptable.   Time to take steps to change.
>>   As far as the Illinois game, I anticipate a hard-hitting  nail-biter,
>> but
>> I'm picking Illinois to win, as after 4 straight wins, it's  Illinois's
>> turn.
>> They will not take us lightly, and after 4 straight  losses and so much on
>> the line, I see no let-down.  We need to stop the  run, period.  With that
>> said,
>> I see a 31-27 Illinois win.    If we can stop the run , we'll give
>> ourselves
>> a chance to win.
>>
>>    GO CATS!!!    Eric
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ************************************** See what's new at
>> http://www.aol.com
>> _______________________________________________
>> nwu-sports site list
>> nwu-sports@tssi.com
>> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>>
>>     
>
>
>
>   

From prplehaze at insightbb.com  Sun Nov 18 00:44:45 2007
From: prplehaze at insightbb.com (Mark Ament)
Date: Sun Nov 18 00:35:56 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
In-Reply-To: <473FD2D4.90903@att.net>
Message-ID: <000101c829ae$81c50440$6400a8c0@PC244461808863>

Our game was allowed because it was on the ESPN family of networks, of which
ABC is only a small player these days.  There are certain weeks in which BTN
has second choice, I believe it's twice a year, but it won't be on the last
week of the year.  It may have been last week as the tOSU-Wisky game was
forced on the BTN.

 

The BTN games I believe are exempt from the no conflict rule and can be
opposite both ESPN and ABC games so shouldn't interfere with time changes,
should NU decide to adopt a different start time for some games next year.
Keep in mind however, that NU is bound by the Evanston ordinance that
permits only one night game per season and has shown no inclination to ask
for that to be changed.

 

Mark

 

 

SportsBiz  <http://thesportsbizblog.blogspot.com/> - The Business of Sports
Illuminated

When it comes to sports, you know it's all about

the money.

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of Michael Vance
Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 12:51 AM
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Attendance

 

Are the rules regarding the scheduling of games opposite ABC published 

somewhere? Because today there were two Big Ten games at 12:00 EST 

(Mich-OSU on ABC and NU-Ill on EPSN) and four at 3:30 (MSU-PSU on 

ABC/ESPN regional coverage, and the rest on BTN.  Was our game allowed 

opposite Mich-OSU because it was on another ABC network?

 

Also, didn't I read something about BTN getting second pick some weeks?

 

I agree that more late starts would help attendance a lot for NU and 

other Central time teams.

 

-Michael

 

Jonathan Hodges wrote:

> Some good ideas - obviously some new and fresh ideas are needed to address

> this issue, because outside of winning a lot of games year in and year
out,

> the old stuff isn't working.  I would like to address some the things that

> you brought up, though:

> 

> - Starting times: it's all in the hands of the networks, and the agreement

> with ESPN says that no BTN games can be opposite the "marquee" ABC matchup

> of the day (typically the 2:30 slot, but in the case of the OSU/Michigan

> game it's noon).  ESPN/ABC gets their pick(s) first, and the BTN has to

> schedule their games around those games, giving the Big Ten and
specifically

> Northwestern little control in regards to time of games.

> 

> - Northern Illinois: NIU is now insisting on home-and-home series games
(NU

> has never played NIU away from home), which I don't think NU is willing to

> do.  Maybe if it was 2 for one or better, NU may go for it, but Murphy

> insists on having 7 home games (something I don't disagree with) and

> home-and-home series against MAC level competition won't let NU get there.

> 

> - "Home" game away from Ryan Field: a bad idea and won't do anything for

> numbers outside of on paper, especially since renting a facility and
dealing

> with travel, etc. won't really make NU any money.  And I completely
disagree

> with the idea of selling out by moving a home game closer to an opponent
as

> an attempt to get more fans - in that case don't even try to get home
games.

> 

> - Day of Game discounts: GREAT idea.  This is a college (amateur level)

> sport.  A $50 tag drives away almost every casual fan family who can't

> afford that steep price - oh, and once they get to the game there's no
money

> left for the pricey concessions.  Especially for nonconference games, NU

> needs to play with the prices (bring them down A LOT) to attract people to

> the game.  The fact is that it can't hurt, NU saw TWO games this year
under

> 20,000 in attendance with another THREE just over 20,000.

> 

> Anyways, not trying to shoot down any idea, the fact is NU needs a new

> well-thought-out strategy regarding attendance and filling the seats.  I

> would hope that this discussion is starting in the athletic department

> shortly, and IMHO it would be advisable to include NU fans in the
discussion

> (maybe a town hall type format or an internet exchange).

> 

> Jonathan

> 

> 

> On Nov 16, 2007 8:49 PM, <WildElk2@aol.com> wrote:

> 

>   

>> Master of the Obvious Dept.: The 12 game schedule has made it  more

>> difficult

>> to get decent crowds, although Mark Murphy is on record that he  will
take

>> a

>> win at home in front of 15,000, as he feels that more wins will

>>  eventually

>> equal more people.

>>   With the BTN,  there may be more flexibility of starting  times.  Maybe

>> we

>> can  ask the BTN for more 2:30 PM games (as well as  an occasional night

>> game)?  11:00 AM kick-offs have to keep at least a few  people away.  The

>> Duke

>> game is perfect example, as it produced  6,7,000 more than the

>> Northeastern/Nevada games.

>>   Get a series with Northern Ill..  A five year series with  3 games in

>> Evanston.  This would help both programs , who struggle with  early
season

>> 

>> attendance issues.

>>   Schedule a "home" game outside of Dyche Stadium. This is not a
paycheck

>> game like the one we disgustingly played vs. Ohio St. at Cleveland

>>  Municipal

>> Stadium in the early Nineties.   There are plenty of small  stadiums

>> across the

>> country that hold 20,000-25,000.  An example would be  Hershey Park

>> Stadium

>> in Hershey, Pa., which holds 20,000.  In 2009 we play  Towson; a perfect

>> game

>> to make it easy for east coast alums and  fans.   Notre Dame is playing

>> "home"

>> games in San Antonio and  Jacksonville in the near future.

>>   On the day of the game, if we have a 20,000-25,000 ish crowd,  sell the

>> end zone  and goal-line seats for $5, and advertise the hell out  of it

>> via

>> newspapers, radio, TV.   Just get people here; they'll buy  hot dogs,

>> programs,

>> and once in a while, they'll get a junkie hooked like me,  who paid $4
for

>> end

>> zone seats circa. 1980.   In the same vein, bring  back Band Day and sell

>> all

>> those crappy seats for a $1 for each band  member.

>>   Crowds(?) of 16,000, 17,000, and 20,000 for a conference game  is

>> unacceptable.   Time to take steps to change.

>>   As far as the Illinois game, I anticipate a hard-hitting  nail-biter,

>> but

>> I'm picking Illinois to win, as after 4 straight wins, it's  Illinois's

>> turn.

>> They will not take us lightly, and after 4 straight  losses and so much
on

>> the line, I see no let-down.  We need to stop the  run, period.  With
that

>> said,

>> I see a 31-27 Illinois win.    If we can stop the run , we'll give

>> ourselves

>> a chance to win.

>> 

>>    GO CATS!!!    Eric

>> 

>> 

>> 

>> 

>> ************************************** See what's new at

>> http://www.aol.com

>> _______________________________________________

>> nwu-sports site list

>> nwu-sports@tssi.com

>> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

>> 

>>     

> 

> 

> 

>   

 

_______________________________________________

nwu-sports site list

nwu-sports@tssi.com

http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From johnadeg at comcast.net  Sun Nov 18 09:46:18 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Sun Nov 18 09:36:24 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
Message-ID: <111820071546.1399.47405E4A000B7CD8000005772214756402090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

NU does recruit minorities and in some tough areas.  I remember Barnett  talking about a NU player that he got out of a tough area in LA who had never met a white person in the normal course of events.  Barnett hooked him up with a minority alum who ha played football at NU.  This mentor called the kid every day to make sure that he was up and on his way to school and kept close tabs on him.  The kid graduated by the way.  That is what needs to be done.  If a kid hasn't been exposed to anything but a slum existence he is pretty much screwed.  One of the Michigan Fab Five went to Detroit Country Day School and afterwards commented that had he not gone there he would never have been exposed to museums, etc.  Same concept.

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: MHRJGScott@aol.com
> 2 comments and one observation 
> 1) congrats to Illinois  on a great season, I have never felt  they were a 
> bad rival, but maybe Zookism will change that.
> 2) I have suggested before that the marketing geniuses at Kellogg come up  
> with a marketing plan for football which may include my observation. Which  is:
> 3) now I am one of the most liberal listers but, you could see in the  zook's 
> physical players and in the stands that zook has got Illinois to recruit  in 
> the minority community and blue collar groups and had them be a part of  the 
> new way of wining football games, like tOSU and Iowa have done, If our  
> administration and faculty don't let us recruit "athletic types" (code words) we  
> can 
> almost never compete.
> 
> 
> 
> ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From spiritu at northwestern.edu  Fri Nov 16 13:12:18 2007
From: spiritu at northwestern.edu (Jonathan Michael Hawkins)
Date: Sun Nov 18 10:57:16 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] WILDCAT WRAP: Northwestern 31, Indiana 28
In-Reply-To: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0933@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>
References: <111220071835.1511.47389CFB000DBCAA000005E72216548686090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
	<fcb3ee270711121043h3f558ce8v88c6bdc7909a9631@mail.gmail.com>
	<4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0933@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>
Message-ID: <d477ce9c0711161112r275e7246oc14d8f312b9227eb@mail.gmail.com>

WARNING:  This rant is *long*.

I think improving the experience *inside* the stadium is key.  One thing
Canham's legacy has done to hurt NU is leave us with a Sports Marketing
department that is focused almost exclusively on gimmicks.

For instance, we have this awesome jumbotron in the Northeast corner of the
stadium, and along the South side of the stadium, we have two scoreboards
whose stated purpose is to keep the fans in the stadium posted on the status
of other games from around the horn.

The jumbotron practically never shows replays of the play that just happened
on the field.  It most definitely never shows plays that fans might be
interested in checking out the replay on.  The stated purpose of this is
that they are not allowed to show controversial calls inside the stadium.
Forgive me for my lack of faith, but this is bullshift.  Every other Big Ten
stadium runs their jumbotron in a very, very different fashion.  And they
most definitely show controversial calls.

The important thing our scoreboard operator needs to understand is that the
Jumbotron and south scoreboard LED displays are there to at least provide
the butt-in-seat fan with the same experience he would have at home.  It's
an "on-field graphics package", as it were.  I cannot tell you how
frustrating it is to be a season ticket holder, and to see a play that's
"being reviewed", and being completely unable to accomplish my own personal
review from where I sit in the stands.

Yes, we couldn't do that 10 years ago.  But any argument that "we couldn't
do this 10 years ago" and thus my theory is invalid fails to appreciate that
the new expectation for fans is to be able to do that.  Instead of meeting
that expectation, we put up fancier versions of the crappy scoreboard
graphics they have inside Welsh-Ryan arena, we put up stupid ads, and we
fail to show the promised continuous score updates in the south end zone.
Those things should be running like the ESPN bottom line (in fact, they
*could* show the ESPN bottom line.  I bet ESPN would license that to us.),
but instead they're telling WILLIE THE CRAPPY SCAB REPLACEMENT WILDCAT Happy
70th birthday every single game this season!

More importantly: why would a fan come to the game, sit through potentially
inclement weather (although we had none this season), to get a lesser
experience than he would if he sat at home and watched the game on HD?

Along the lines of lesser experience, the food and drink options at Dyche
continue to be woefully inadequate.  Again, there's really no excuse for
this, and the only logical explanation is a lack of desire to recognize that
the problem exists by the Athletic Department.  The spaces for concessions
are rather large; there is plenty of room to set up deep fryers, commercial
grills, and the like.  But they don't.  We still have the same crappy
concessions that other schools moved on from years ago.  This hurts the
gameday experience.  Last week, in fact, some management type was yelling at
the students working the concession stand (note: the students work for a
donation from the Athletic Department to their org.  Don't presume to yell
at them, stupid Sodexho morons.)  When I ordered a bottle of diet pepsi, he
forgot to remember that I don't work for him, and literally yelled at me "WE
DON'T HAVE ANY IN BOTTLES."  The appropriate response was more like, "I'm
very sorry sir, we're out of bottles of Diet Pepsi.  May I get you a large
fountain diet pepsi for the same price?"  A minor complaint, to be sure, but
Bob the partner at the law firm isn't going to appreciate that sort of
thing.

The in-game non-football entertainment is beyond terrible.  My beloved
Northwestern University Marching Band discovered something this year, and I
think fans sent mail to this list in fact about this problem.  When NUMB
stands in its assigned seats and faces South instead of East, the fans get
more into the band because they can hear them.  When other teams' bands come
and face the home side of the stadium, we hear more of their band than we do
of NUMB.  The solution is to move the student section and the band across
the field from the home side, so that when the loudest cheering goes on, the
older folks are more inspired to take to their feet.  This is how the
University of Texas does it, and I think it's the right call.  The
alternative is to do what Wisconsin and Michigan, among other schools, do,
and that's to place NUMB in the North or the South end zone, so that they're
facing pretty much the entire stadium.  Where they are now makes them
ineffective.

The other things, like the "pizza giveaway" and the "t-shirt toss" and all
that stuff, either need to go or be revamped.  Nobody cares about them.  The
stupid "throw the ball through the upright" thing needs to go.  All of that
stuff just seems like total amateur hour.  Another amateur hour thing was
the people on the jumbotron singing "Go U Northwestern" terribly, which
thankfully got pulled about halfway through the season.  That was simply
embarrassing.  And finally, when your sound has a 60hz hum running through
it, as a lot of the video shown on the jumbotron does, it means it's been
made by people who aren't professionals and that it was checked by people
who aren't professionals.  Our athletics department spends millions on
football, and those production qualities make it seem pathetically worse
than a high school football game (where I come from, at least, in Texas).

Finally, the Athletics Department MUST realize that it began its long, slow
murder of the gameday experience at NU when it shut down the fraternity
tailgates, and moved to a policy of "only the rich old people get to
tailgate at the stadium.  The rest of you get family-friendly Wildcat
Alley."  My group of young alums got together a few years back and spent a
very good deal of money to buy our way onto the list of West Lot
tailgaters.  If we hadn't has as many people to contribute as we did, we
could never have afforded to get enough priority points to do it.  But we
seem to be the only ones who've done this.  At other schools, the
demographic makeup of the tailgating lots (and interest in tailgating) just
isn't the case.  I suspect that providing a way for people who actually want
to tailgate and cheer for NU to get West Lot and East Lot passes would
improve gameday atmosphere.

As it stands, most of the rich folks who own those passes seem to give them
away to the other team's fans ALL THE TIME.  This is just pathetic.  Giving
your pass to another team's fan more than once a season should be automatic
grounds for revocation.  NU should provide a strongly encouraged and easy
way (online, and/or call the Wildcat ticket office and press 7 or something)
of giving your parking pass for the week to an alum, young alum, or current
student that has signed some sort of (non-enforceable) pledge that they'll
tailgate with a donated parking pass.  Anyone who successfully tailgates
with these things for a season's worth of games (say, 6) should get enough
points to have their own pass outright.  Reward dedication to the team and
the school and to the gameday experience.  I'm sure you could find someone
who'd take a hundred bucks to be the gameday tailgate inspector, and go find
the people who took the passes and ensure they weren't Iowa fans or
something.

Okay, rant over.  Seriously, though.  Fitz is doing a fine job with the
team.  It wasn't so long ago we were lauding Randy Walker for getting us 6
wins in three straight seasons.  Now we've got 6 wins, and gloriously, we
expect more.  This is a good thing, as long as we realize just how far NU
football has come in 12 years.  But we cannot continue to accept the
mediocre gameday experience.  It is, in my mind, the single biggest culprit
for why attendance sucked so mightily this year and last.

Thanks for reading this far,

Jonathan

On Nov 16, 2007 11:25 AM, Jeff Beamsley <jeff.beamsley@hilgraeve.com> wrote:

> At least you can't blame the Bears, Sox, or Cubs for it this year.
>
> Since I live in Michigan, I don't know how many NW games were available
> locally, but there were precious few that we were able to see.  IMHO,
> seeing
> NU play well on TV is going to do more than anything else to get butts
> into
> the seats.
>
> Beyond that, it is all about marketing.  The juggernaut that is Michigan
> football today is the direct result of Don Canham's innovative marketing.
> When he came on board in 1968, Michigan was averaging around 50%
> attendance
> too.  He hired Bo, scheduled the hated ND, promoted the rivalry with OSU,
> replaced the grass with Astroturf, invented tailgating, sports marketing,
> and
> all sorts of special events before during and after the games.  A lot of
> people at the time thought that Canham was crazy, but he knew that the
> same
> old stuff was not going to get the job done.  If NU wants to fill the
> seats
> on Saturday, they need to think outside the box and find their own version
> of
> Don Canham who will likely do stuff that will upset us too.
>
> Jeff
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
> Behalf Of Jonathan Hodges
> Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 1:44 PM
> To: johnadeg@comcast.net
> Cc: nwu-sports@tssi.com
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] WILDCAT WRAP: Northwestern 31, Indiana 28
>
> Attendance was listed at 20,466, the lowest attended Big Ten game at Ryan
> Field in a long time (most likely into the 70's although I don't have
> statistics going back nearly that far) - prior to that last year's
> Illinois
> contest (just over 22,000) was the next lowest.
>
> For reference, NU averaged 24,589 for its 7 home games in 2007, about
> 2,500
> below the previous recent season average low (in 2002), which currently
> ranks
> NU 85th nationally in average attendance on the year.  In fact, the total
> attendance is lower than that in 2001, which had 2 fewer home games.
> Also, on average, NU has only filled 52.17% of the seats this year.
>
> Sure, winning goes a long way towards filling seats and we've talked the
> attendance issue to death, but the final 2007 numbers are definitely
> discouraging and show that something needs to be done.
>
> Jonathan
>
> On Nov 12, 2007 12:35 PM, <johnadeg@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> > I don't know if Indiana had more fans at the game than NU did, but the
> > stadium looked like it was half empty.  That sure doesn't help in
> > trying to get a bowl bid.
> >
> > John DeGroat
> >  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> > From: "SjT (Stephen J. Truog)" <sjtruog@yahoo.com>
> > > WILDCAT WRAP - NORTHWESTERN 31, INDIANA 28
> > >
> > > There are a lot of ways you could look at Northwestern's 31-28
> > > season home finale win over Indiana. It could be a team finally
> > > getting over that hump and learning to win games they need to finish
> > > when they have leads in the fourth quarter. It could be the Cats
> > > almost blowing another game they should have easily won with
> > > turnovers and mistakes. It could be a case of some gutsy
> > > performances from seniors and team leaders for the home finale. Or
> > > it could be just another exciting finish to a Northwestern football
> > > game in Ryan Field by the comeback Cats.
> > >
> > > But it might just be that Saturday's game will go down as the Replay
> > > Bowl. Several key plays - including two touchdowns (and what
> > > probably should have been a
> > > third) - were held up while officials upstairs took an extra look to
> > > get the call right. And when a fumble appeared to end Indiana's
> > > final drive and give NU the victory, the Evanston crowd had to hold
> > > their breath while replay officials went to work before they could
> > > confirm the call on the field and celebrate the Senior Day victory.
> > >
> > > Northwestern came into the game after a heartbreaking home loss to
> > > Iowa last week in a game where NU dominated the first quarter and
> > > played well most of the game, but for the second straight week, a
> > > 17-14 NU lead at the end of three evaporated into a Wildcat loss. In
> > > fact, of the five Wildcat defeats this year, they were leading
> > > Michigan, Purdue and Iowa in the fourth and had four chances to win
> > > at the end against Duke. Only the Ohio State debacle was out of
> > > reach. So while no one doubted the Cats ability to comeback, their
> > > ability to finish out games they're leading was definitely called
> > > into question.
> > >
> > > The weather was a brisk Midwestern autumn day, perfect for the
> > > pigskin, and the Hoosiers brought quite a bit more fans than they
> > > usually do to Evanston. No doubt they were anticipating this game
> > > being win No. 7 that would make a long-awaited bowl bid all but
> > > certain.
> > > The IU Marching Hundred band was also in attendance, making for a
> > > spirited afternoon. Though I must say, between their little march
> > > song for IU first downs (complete with odd hand gestures) and that
> > > blasted whistle for Purdue, you're gonna need to bring some earplugs
> > > to the old bucket game next week to leave with a sense of sanity.
> > > C'mon Marching Hundred, you have the INDIANA Jones march to play,
> > > why are you milking cows?
> > >
> > > The first quarter against started much like last week's first
> > > quarter except with different results.
> > > Once again, Northwestern dominated the opening 15 minutes,
> > > controlling the clock, moving it up and down the field and
> > > dominating the total yardage on offense.
> > > But the Cats had to settle for a field goal on their opening march
> > > and the Hoosiers didn't even need to put their offense on the field
> > > as the ensuing kick was returned 91 yards for a touchdown.
> > >
> > > Coming into the game, most purple-clad fans knew that Northwestern
> > > needed to finish the drive with "6 not 3"
> > > and I was even willing to print up shirts saying "I HATE FIELD
> > > GOALS" given how kicks have been an, um, adventure this year. But
> > > the first 16 minutes of the game just made the point all the
> > > greater. Northwestern had the ball for 31 of the game's first 35
> > > plays. The defense even forced a 3-and-out after an interception
> > > where C.J. Bacher woefully underthrew a deep pass. But with IU's
> > > kick return and NU's drives stalling for a field goal and a missed
> > > field goal, the Cats were down
> > > 3-7 at the start of the second quarter despite dominating every
> > > phase of the game outside of special teams.
> > >
> > > Things looked even worse when the Hoosiers finally woke up and drove
> > > down for a touchdown on their second possession. And despite a great
> > > burst up the middle by Tyrell Sutton, showing flashes of the No. 19
> > > NU fans know and love, moved the ball deep into IU territory, the
> > > Cats promptly squandered yet another scoring chance when a touchdown
> > > pass by Bacher bounced out of Ross Lane's hands and into an IU
> > > defender in the end zone.
> > >
> > > The Wildcats had had four offensive series, all marching to midfield
> > > or beyond, and had only three points. Two ended in field goal tries,
> > > while two ended in interceptions. NU fans were wondering what they
> > > had to do to score when something almost unheard of in recent
> > > Wildcat history happened.
> > >
> > > Indiana was driving off the turnover when quarterback Kellen Lewis
> > > was knocked out for a play. When backup Ben Chappell came in and
> > > made one throw, the NU defense made the interception and senior
> > > Eddie Simpson ran it back 40 yards for the touchdown. The teams
> > > exchanged punts until halftime and the Cats headed to the locker
> > > room down only 10-14, thanks to their defense.
> > >
> > > At halftime, the NU Marching Band put on a great show - once again
> > > bringing out "Rhapsody in Blue" for "American Airlines Day" at Ryan
> > > Field in a wonderfully sly slam on corporate sponsorship. Sadly,
> > > though, the usual "olde plus four" and senior recognition was rushed
> > > by time and the teams coming back on the field a bit early. In fact,
> > > the alma mater was performed at a brisk pace - quicker than the
> > > fight song is most days - to rush off the field in time. After all
> > > their hard work to make Saturdays special, the seniors in NUMB
> > > deserve a better send-off!
> > >
> > > Another quick editorial comment: The Wildcat defense played much
> > > better this game than in the past - more aggressive and more
> > > pressuring. Our front four were able to get consistent pressure on
> > > IU all day, and even if their line isn't as good as I thought, they
> > > still have one of the more mobile quarterbacks in Hardy who can
> > > scramble out of most jams. I am NOT trying to say Colby deserves to
> > > stay as defensive coordinator, though. For some reason, he refused
> > > to give Sherrick McManus any help all day on James Hardy.
> > > I love McManis' enthusiasm and aggression, but Hardy is indeed every
> > > bit as good as advertised and had a huge height advantage all day.
> > > By putting McManus one-on-one and having no inside help when McManis
> > > had to play the fade down by the end zone, Hardy easily cut one in
> > > for a wide open score and could have done so all day if the Hoosiers
> > > had gone to him more.
> > > Overall, he only had a quiet 100 yards or so - not nearly as bad as
> > > it could have been with our defensive game plan to not double cover
> > > the best receiver in the league. But we did come with more blitz
> > > schemes and got good pressure when only rushing the front line.
> > >
> > > But the game started to really get crazy in the second half. The
> > > officials really hadn't played much of a role in the game - not
> > > calling a lot both ways and staying out of it for the most part. But
> > > that usually commendable approach could not be tolerated any more on
> > > the first series of the second half when a scrambling Lewis -
> > > running toward the sideline with THE MARKER ON IT - took a couple
> > > steps over the line before hurling a 70-yard touchdown strike to
> > > break the game open again at 20-10 Indiana.
> > >
> > > To be honest, I didn't even see who caught it downfield or even know
> > > it was a TD until a bit later.
> > > I was too stunned that with an official AND A MARKER right by the
> > > play, no one had thrown a flag for crossing the line. From midfield
> > > and sixty rows up, I could clearly see two steps past the line of
> > > scrimmage and pointed in stunned outrage, yelling for replay in
> > > disbelief that no flag had been thrown. Were these officials napping
> > > through the game? How could my so-so eyesight spot this so obviously
> > > while they missed it, I incredulously thought.
> > >
> > > Ten years ago, it would have just been an outrage post for the
> > > message boards afterwards, but thank goodness we have instant replay
> > > and they buzzed down in the nick of time. It was a huge turning
> > > point in the game as the play came on third down and when the folks
> > > upstairs finally got it right, it became a 14-point swing because
> > > the Cats drove down after the ensuing punt to take a 17-14 lead on
> > > Sutton's 1-yard plunge.
> > >
> > > After the Wildcat defense again forced a punt (a make-up replay
> > > reversal had given the Hoosiers one first down but they couldn't get
> > > another), the situation was all too familiar for NU fans. The Cats
> > > had the ball, up 17-14 in the second half. Against Purdue and Iowa,
> > > they had been in this situation many times and failed to get that
> > > "next score" that would put some distance between themselves and
> > > their opponent. But senior Kim Thompson stepped up this time to make
> > > sure his home finale would not be the third game in a row of blown
> > > opportunities. Thompson caught two key third down conversions to
> > > spur a drive that ended in a touchdown when senior Brandon Roberson
> > > turned a halfback option into a touchdown pass to a wide open
> > > Thompson in the end zone.
> > >
> > > The play was a great call and Thompson snuck behind the defense and
> > > could have set up camp in the end zone for a couple weeks before
> > > being detected. However, IU's defense forced a delay in the pass and
> > > tipped it enough that it took a fantastic catch by Thompson on the
> > > side of the end zone to get the score. Of course the play was
> > > reviewed, but this time the refs had made the right call on the lead
> > > and the Cats were up 28-17.
> > > Finally, some breathing distance for Wildcat fans - were they
> > > learning to finish?
> > >
> > > The other great thing about this drive - and all of NU's possessions
> > > in the second half this week - was that they did not forget about
> > > the running game. In the Iowa and Purdue losses, Sutton rarely
> > > touched the ball. On Saturday, he was fed early and often on NU's
> > > drives. He didn't break any long, but it kept the Cats in manageable
> > > third downs and kept the defense honest against the run and pass.
> > >
> > > With just over a quarter left, however, NU fans knew this one was
> > > not over. Indiana finally seemed to realize that they had the Big
> > > Ten's best receiver in single coverage and used a couple big passes
> > > to Hardy to set up a touchdown to cut the lead back to three.
> > > The touchdown itself probably should have been added to the replay
> > > list for the day. I was surprised no one challenged it. They didn't
> > > show a replay on the jumbotron, but it sure looked like it may have
> > > been slipping out as he dove for the end zone and barely crossed the
> > > line.
> > >
> > > In any case, the score stood and instead of being up 17-14, NU was
> > > now up 24-21 entering the final fifteen minutes. Bacher quickly
> > > drove the Cats downfield - aided by another big Thompson catch - and
> > > the Cats were facing 3rd and Goal at the Hoosier 3 yard line with
> > > just over 10 minutes left.
> > >
> > > As soon as they ran the play and before the ball was thrown, I
> > > yelled out the words I now wanted to print on a new T-shirt: "I HATE
> > > THE FADE." You can run a fade when you have a huge height edge like
> > > Hardy had.
> > > You can run the fade when you have a great leaper. You can run it
> > > when you have a perfect throw or the far side of the field.
> > > Northwestern had none of those things. All I thought would happen
> > > was an incomplete and we'd have to go for it on 4th down ("NO MORE
> > > FIELD GOALS!" was another T-shirt idea) ... but it was worse.
> > > Indiana intercepted it and with 10:19 remaining in the game,
> > > Northwestern's third interception gave Indiana a golden chance to
> > > take the lead and get that big bowl win.
> > >
> > > The Cats brought pressure and sacked Hardy once, but the next time
> > > he escaped with a big scramble and fueled a drive that ended with an
> > > easy Hardy touchdown. With no inside help and McManis having to play
> > > the fade, Hardy cut it in for a wide open score to put Indiana ahead
> > > 28-24 with six minutes remaining.
> > >
> > > Now was when the Cats had folded in the past two weeks, but not this
> > > time. Everything finally came together for play calling, Bacher and
> > > the entire offense as the Cats gave the home fans and seniors
> > > another thrilling finish. It's telling that the Cats had four sets
> > > of downs on the final drive and on each of the four first downs and
> > > four second downs, NU dialed up a rushing play. Big difference from
> > > the past couple weeks!
> > >
> > > Not only did the running game keep the defense honest and mix up the
> > > offense, it took a lot of time off the clock and surprisingly, the
> > > Hoosiers didn't empty their supply of timeouts to keep more left on
> > > the clock for a comeback drive. The balance finally paid off. On 3rd
> > > and 2 from the IU 3, everyone in the house was expecting a run.
> > > There was almost an audible gasp from the crowd when Bacher kept the
> > > ball and dropped back. Thankfully for the purple-clad fans, he
> > > zipped a perfect strike to Lane for the touchdown and with 44
> > > seconds left, NU topped their "magical mark" of 30 points that seems
> > > to determine wins and losses for the season to take the lead at
> > > 31-28.
> > >
> > > A poor kickoff out of bounds gave the Hoosiers one last chance and
> > > after a couple first downs moved Indiana within range of a couple
> > > Hail Mary's (and that was a scary thought for NU with Hardy on the
> > > field).
> > > But the Wildcat pressure continued to be fierce and David Ngene came
> > > up with perhaps the play of the year to knock the ball free on a
> > > sack to seal the victory.
> > > Of course, the play would be reviewed. But after what seemed like an
> > > endless wait for the fans in Ryan Field, the call stood and
> > > Northwestern had won its sixth game of the season and ended the home
> > > slate on an high note with a thrilling 31-28 victory.
> > >
> > > The Big Ten has 10 bowl eligible teams heading into the final week
> > > of play, so six wins likely won't be enough for an extra game this
> > > year. This means the Cats have to come up with their best game of
> > > the year to win at rival Illinois - coming off their biggest win in
> > > years - next week to secure a postseason trip, and even then it
> > > might not be a sure thing if other upsets happen.
> > >
> > > But all that analysis - and the continued beating of the heads
> > > against the wall for letting Duke and Iowa slip away at home - can
> > > wait. For now it was a wonderful scene for fans to see the Wildcat
> > > team head over to the students and band to victoriously sing "Go U
> > > Northwestern" one more time with the sound reverberating throughout
> > > Ryan Field this year. Always nice to go out on a win.
> > >
> > > GAME BALLS
> > > * Our Seniors. Outside of the O-line and secondary, the losses to
> > > graduation shouldn't hurt NU too much next year. However, as they
> > > were being introduced, I reflected on how much this group of seniors
> > > have had to endure and how much they have meant to this program. Two
> > > years ago on Senior Day, they were celebrating with the rest as the
> > > Cats came back to beat Iowa en route to a Sun Bowl berth and a
> > > bright future. But with the tragedy of Coach Walker's death, they
> > > had to grow up and become team leaders in a hurry as juniors. There
> > > were some rough times, but two years later they were able to walk
> > > off Ryan Field with a comeback win  and bowl eligibility for their
> > > team.
> > > It's important that this group of seniors would not let NU's program
> > > slip back to the dark ages, much as they would not let NU lose this
> > > game. To single a couple out ...
> > > * Kim Thompson. Big catches. Clutch catches.
> > > Especially on third down on the winning drive. We'll have a great
> > > group of receivers back next year, but we'll still have big shoes to
> > > fill with Thompson's leadership and composure in crunch time.
> > > * Eddie Simpson. The whole defense was aggressive today - nice to
> > > see - but this senior's interception and return were a turning point
> > > in this game.
> > >
> > > THINGS TO WORK ON
> > > * Turnovers. One pick wasn't C.J.'s fault, but the other two were.
> > > They could have cost us dearly in the first half as we squandered
> > > many opportunities to blow this one open early.
> > > * No more field goals. Period. From now on, if we get it near
> > > midfield, it's four down territory.
> > > * No more fades. Ever. Until we get a  6-6 wideout.
> > > Overall the coaches did well today, but you still cringed on that
> > > fade call or IU's touchdown where NU gave no help on Hardy. Good
> > > aggression on D and excellent job remembering to run in the fourth
> > > on offense - but still a long way to go.
> > >
> > > AROUND THE LEAGUE
> > > * ILLINOIS deserves to be a top 20 team. This was not OHIO STATE
> > > losing as much as it was ILLINOIS winning.
> > > Amazing composure in keeping the ball out of OSU's hands in the
> > > fourth quarter. Sad for the Big Ten to see an extra BCS berth chance
> > > fade, but great to show folks that like the SEC, we have great depth
> > > and balance and are not as depleted as people think. Now hopefully
> > > the Cats can catch the Zookers celebrating next week and get a
> > > much-needed win to keep Sweet Sioux.
> > > * I had no idea of Mike Hart's playing or not playing, or the time
> > > left, but when I saw the updates of MICHIGAN at WISCONSIN and saw a
> > > 23-7 lead become 23-14 in the fourth quarter, all I could do was
> > > shake my head and wonder why good ole Lloyd Carr didn't go for two.
> > > Sure, there was a lot of time left, but without a lot of starters in
> > > the 4th quarter on the road, you go for two to make it a one
> > > possession game! They could have tied it instead of making it 23-21
> > > later - but still, nice win by the Badgers to defend home turf and
> > > show why they're a top 25 team  as well.
> > > * PENN STATE had a snoozer this week, but will definitely need some
> > > style points next week in what should be a wild race for the Florida
> > > New Year's bowls between the Illini, Badgers, Nits and OSU/UM loser.
> > > With only one BCS berth, the non-January bowls with Big Ten ties are
> > > going to get some big-name teams.
> > > * Was MICHIGAN STATE's win against PURDUE a cathartic showing that
> > > they were finally not the old Sparty team that folds like a
> > > lawnchair in November? Or was it just Purdue's overrated self
> > > catching up to it? We'll see next week. But you know that the Motor
> > > City Bowl will be wearing a lot of green next week.
> > > * Keep the pig! IOWA quietly has turned around its season nicely and
> > > should win next week to get to 7 wins and a bowl berth.
> > >
> > > Always good to end with a win. While we'll be kicking ourselves for
> > > weeks against the ones that got away against Duke, Iowa and even
> > > Purdue and Michigan, overall this has been a solid season. Coach
> > > Fitz has started to leave more of his imprint on the team and
> > > hopefully that continues with a more aggressive defense (and a new
> > > DC?) next year. And McGee is starting to learn how to best use the
> > > weapons he has on offense and that will continue to be a lot next
> > > year, especially if Brewer returns healthy. I smell a whole gadget
> > > play section of the playbook!
> > >
> > > Like I said with the seniors, it's important to realize that they
> > > helped hold this team together through some tough times in the past
> > > two years and after a year of transition last year, we're back to
> > > where we need to be this year - in the mix for bowl contention. Next
> > > year we need to build of that success and finish those victories off
> > > to get to 8, 9 or 10 wins consistently. With a  few changes on the
> > > assistant staff, I think we're heading in that direction.
> > >
> > > Also of note is that Fitz is now halfway to Walker's mark of beating
> > > all of the Big Ten teams. He now has victories over Minnesota, Iowa,
> > > Illinois, Indiana and MSU. Of course, those last five look to be a
> > > bit tougher and whether or not he gets them will really show whether
> > > or not he's taken the Cats to that next level during his coaching
> > > career.
> > >
> > > So good finish to the home season - now let's finish it out on the
> > > road. The Illini will hopefully be looking ahead to a possible
> > > Zooker Bowl in Orlando against Florida and celebrating their huge
> > > win. It will be tough to contain Juice Williams and Mendenhall
> > > without the turnovers the Illini had at the start of the year. But
> > > it is a rivalry game, so throw those records out, strap on the pads
> > > and let's go hit someone. We play our in-state rival for a bowl
> > > berth on the last weekend of the year - can you ask for much more?
> > >
> > > GO CATS!!!
> > > -SjT
> > >
> > > * * * * * * * * *
> > > STEPHEN J. TRUOG
> > > sjtruog@yahoo.com
> > > GO CATS!!!
> > >
> > > __________________________________________________
> > > Do You Yahoo!?
> > > Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> > > http://mail.yahoo.com
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
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> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > nwu-sports@tssi.com
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> >
>
>
>
> --
> Jonathan W. Hodges
> 1237 Emerson St Apt 2
> Evanston, IL  60201-3577
> (847) 736-2449
> jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
> _______________________________________________
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>
From tbng at comcast.net  Sun Nov 18 11:39:12 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Sun Nov 18 11:29:19 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Reading and tackling
References: <111220071835.1511.47389CFB000DBCAA000005E72216548686090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net><fcb3ee270711121043h3f558ce8v88c6bdc7909a9631@mail.gmail.com><4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0933@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>
	<d477ce9c0711161112r275e7246oc14d8f312b9227eb@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <000301c82a09$eea54560$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>

<It wasn't so long ago we were lauding Randy Walker for getting us 6
wins in three straight seasons.  Now we've got 6 wins, and gloriously, we
expect more.  This is a good thing, as long as we realize just how far NU
football has come in 12 years.

After 12 years you're supposed to graduate reading on a 12th-grade level. 
We seem to be stuck in the 6th grade. 

From michael.vance at att.net  Sun Nov 18 13:57:21 2007
From: michael.vance at att.net (Michael Vance)
Date: Sun Nov 18 13:47:56 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
In-Reply-To: <000101c829ae$81c50440$6400a8c0@PC244461808863>
References: <000101c829ae$81c50440$6400a8c0@PC244461808863>
Message-ID: <47409921.7010609@att.net>

What qualifies as a "night game" for the Evanston ordinance? Is it 
defined by kickoff beyond a certain time, regardless of the time of year 
and amount of available natural light or is it based on whether we need 
to put up the temporary artificial lights?

-Michael

Mark Ament wrote:
>
> Our game was allowed because it was on the ESPN family of networks, of 
> which ABC is only a small player these days. There are certain weeks 
> in which BTN has second choice, I believe it's twice a year, but it 
> won't be on the last week of the year. It may have been last week as 
> the tOSU-Wisky game was forced on the BTN.
>
> The BTN games I believe are exempt from the no conflict rule and can 
> be opposite both ESPN and ABC games so shouldn't interfere with time 
> changes, should NU decide to adopt a different start time for some 
> games next year. Keep in mind however, that NU is bound by the 
> Evanston ordinance that permits only one night game per season and has 
> shown no inclination to ask for that to be changed.
>
> Mark
>
> SportsBiz ? The Business of Sports Illuminated 
> <http://thesportsbizblog.blogspot.com/>
>
> When it comes to sports, you know it's all about
>
> the money.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] 
> On Behalf Of Michael Vance
> Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 12:51 AM
> To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Attendance
>
> Are the rules regarding the scheduling of games opposite ABC published
>
> somewhere? Because today there were two Big Ten games at 12:00 EST
>
> (Mich-OSU on ABC and NU-Ill on EPSN) and four at 3:30 (MSU-PSU on
>
> ABC/ESPN regional coverage, and the rest on BTN. Was our game allowed
>
> opposite Mich-OSU because it was on another ABC network?
>
> Also, didn't I read something about BTN getting second pick some weeks?
>
> I agree that more late starts would help attendance a lot for NU and
>
> other Central time teams.
>
> -Michael
>
> Jonathan Hodges wrote:
>
> > Some good ideas - obviously some new and fresh ideas are needed to 
> address
>
> > this issue, because outside of winning a lot of games year in and 
> year out,
>
> > the old stuff isn't working. I would like to address some the things that
>
> > you brought up, though:
>
> >
>
> > - Starting times: it's all in the hands of the networks, and the 
> agreement
>
> > with ESPN says that no BTN games can be opposite the "marquee" ABC 
> matchup
>
> > of the day (typically the 2:30 slot, but in the case of the OSU/Michigan
>
> > game it's noon). ESPN/ABC gets their pick(s) first, and the BTN has to
>
> > schedule their games around those games, giving the Big Ten and 
> specifically
>
> > Northwestern little control in regards to time of games.
>
> >
>
> > - Northern Illinois: NIU is now insisting on home-and-home series 
> games (NU
>
> > has never played NIU away from home), which I don't think NU is 
> willing to
>
> > do. Maybe if it was 2 for one or better, NU may go for it, but Murphy
>
> > insists on having 7 home games (something I don't disagree with) and
>
> > home-and-home series against MAC level competition won't let NU get 
> there.
>
> >
>
> > - "Home" game away from Ryan Field: a bad idea and won't do anything for
>
> > numbers outside of on paper, especially since renting a facility and 
> dealing
>
> > with travel, etc. won't really make NU any money. And I completely 
> disagree
>
> > with the idea of selling out by moving a home game closer to an 
> opponent as
>
> > an attempt to get more fans - in that case don't even try to get home 
> games.
>
> >
>
> > - Day of Game discounts: GREAT idea. This is a college (amateur level)
>
> > sport. A $50 tag drives away almost every casual fan family who can't
>
> > afford that steep price - oh, and once they get to the game there's 
> no money
>
> > left for the pricey concessions. Especially for nonconference games, NU
>
> > needs to play with the prices (bring them down A LOT) to attract 
> people to
>
> > the game. The fact is that it can't hurt, NU saw TWO games this year 
> under
>
> > 20,000 in attendance with another THREE just over 20,000.
>
> >
>
> > Anyways, not trying to shoot down any idea, the fact is NU needs a new
>
> > well-thought-out strategy regarding attendance and filling the seats. I
>
> > would hope that this discussion is starting in the athletic department
>
> > shortly, and IMHO it would be advisable to include NU fans in the 
> discussion
>
> > (maybe a town hall type format or an internet exchange).
>
> >
>
> > Jonathan
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > On Nov 16, 2007 8:49 PM, <WildElk2@aol.com> wrote:
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >> Master of the Obvious Dept.: The 12 game schedule has made it more
>
> >> difficult
>
> >> to get decent crowds, although Mark Murphy is on record that he will 
> take
>
> >> a
>
> >> win at home in front of 15,000, as he feels that more wins will
>
> >> eventually
>
> >> equal more people.
>
> >> With the BTN, there may be more flexibility of starting times. Maybe
>
> >> we
>
> >> can ask the BTN for more 2:30 PM games (as well as an occasional night
>
> >> game)? 11:00 AM kick-offs have to keep at least a few people away. The
>
> >> Duke
>
> >> game is perfect example, as it produced 6,7,000 more than the
>
> >> Northeastern/Nevada games.
>
> >> Get a series with Northern Ill.. A five year series with 3 games in
>
> >> Evanston. This would help both programs , who struggle with early season
>
> >>
>
> >> attendance issues.
>
> >> Schedule a "home" game outside of Dyche Stadium. This is not a paycheck
>
> >> game like the one we disgustingly played vs. Ohio St. at Cleveland
>
> >> Municipal
>
> >> Stadium in the early Nineties. There are plenty of small stadiums
>
> >> across the
>
> >> country that hold 20,000-25,000. An example would be Hershey Park
>
> >> Stadium
>
> >> in Hershey, Pa., which holds 20,000. In 2009 we play Towson; a perfect
>
> >> game
>
> >> to make it easy for east coast alums and fans. Notre Dame is playing
>
> >> "home"
>
> >> games in San Antonio and Jacksonville in the near future.
>
> >> On the day of the game, if we have a 20,000-25,000 ish crowd, sell the
>
> >> end zone and goal-line seats for $5, and advertise the hell out of it
>
> >> via
>
> >> newspapers, radio, TV. Just get people here; they'll buy hot dogs,
>
> >> programs,
>
> >> and once in a while, they'll get a junkie hooked like me, who paid 
> $4 for
>
> >> end
>
> >> zone seats circa. 1980. In the same vein, bring back Band Day and sell
>
> >> all
>
> >> those crappy seats for a $1 for each band member.
>
> >> Crowds(?) of 16,000, 17,000, and 20,000 for a conference game is
>
> >> unacceptable. Time to take steps to change.
>
> >> As far as the Illinois game, I anticipate a hard-hitting nail-biter,
>
> >> but
>
> >> I'm picking Illinois to win, as after 4 straight wins, it's Illinois's
>
> >> turn.
>
> >> They will not take us lightly, and after 4 straight losses and so 
> much on
>
> >> the line, I see no let-down. We need to stop the run, period. With that
>
> >> said,
>
> >> I see a 31-27 Illinois win. If we can stop the run , we'll give
>
> >> ourselves
>
> >> a chance to win.
>
> >>
>
> >> GO CATS!!! Eric
>
> >>
>
> >>
>
> >>
>
> >>
>
> >> ************************************** See what's new at
>
> >> http://www.aol.com
>
> >> _______________________________________________
>
> >> nwu-sports site list
>
> >> nwu-sports@tssi.com
>
> >> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>
> >>
>
> >>
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> nwu-sports site list
>
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
>
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>

From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Sun Nov 18 17:47:17 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Sun Nov 18 17:37:25 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
In-Reply-To: <47409921.7010609@att.net>
References: <000101c829ae$81c50440$6400a8c0@PC244461808863>
	<47409921.7010609@att.net>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711181547y72f9832agae07f300852da65a@mail.gmail.com>

I believe it is based on the start time of the game: e.g. anything after 6PM
would be a night game (2:30 starts, although requiring temporary lights, are
not considered night games).  Of course I can't find any direct reference to
the rule that allows only one night game per year, although it may just be
an "unofficial" agreement between the school and the city.

Also, night games are typically announced before the season.

Jonathan

On Nov 18, 2007 1:57 PM, Michael Vance < michael.vance@att.net> wrote:

> What qualifies as a "night game" for the Evanston ordinance? Is it
> defined by kickoff beyond a certain time, regardless of the time of year
> and amount of available natural light or is it based on whether we need
> to put up the temporary artificial lights?
>
> -Michael
>
> Mark Ament wrote:
> >
> > Our game was allowed because it was on the ESPN family of networks, of
> > which ABC is only a small player these days. There are certain weeks
> > in which BTN has second choice, I believe it's twice a year, but it
> > won't be on the last week of the year. It may have been last week as
> > the tOSU-Wisky game was forced on the BTN.
> >
> > The BTN games I believe are exempt from the no conflict rule and can
> > be opposite both ESPN and ABC games so shouldn't interfere with time
> > changes, should NU decide to adopt a different start time for some
> > games next year. Keep in mind however, that NU is bound by the
> > Evanston ordinance that permits only one night game per season and has
> > shown no inclination to ask for that to be changed.
> >
> > Mark
> >
> > SportsBiz ? The Business of Sports Illuminated
> > <http://thesportsbizblog.blogspot.com/>
> >
> > When it comes to sports, you know it's all about
> >
> > the money.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com ]
> > On Behalf Of Michael Vance
> > Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 12:51 AM
> > To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Attendance
> >
> > Are the rules regarding the scheduling of games opposite ABC published
> >
> > somewhere? Because today there were two Big Ten games at 12:00 EST
> >
> > (Mich-OSU on ABC and NU-Ill on EPSN) and four at 3:30 (MSU-PSU on
> >
> > ABC/ESPN regional coverage, and the rest on BTN. Was our game allowed
> >
> > opposite Mich-OSU because it was on another ABC network?
> >
> > Also, didn't I read something about BTN getting second pick some weeks?
> >
> > I agree that more late starts would help attendance a lot for NU and
> >
> > other Central time teams.
> >
> > -Michael
> >
> > Jonathan Hodges wrote:
> >
> > > Some good ideas - obviously some new and fresh ideas are needed to
> > address
> >
> > > this issue, because outside of winning a lot of games year in and
> > year out,
> >
> > > the old stuff isn't working. I would like to address some the things
> that
> >
> > > you brought up, though:
> >
> > >
> >
> > > - Starting times: it's all in the hands of the networks, and the
> > agreement
> >
> > > with ESPN says that no BTN games can be opposite the "marquee" ABC
> > matchup
> >
> > > of the day (typically the 2:30 slot, but in the case of the
> OSU/Michigan
> >
> > > game it's noon). ESPN/ABC gets their pick(s) first, and the BTN has to
> >
> > > schedule their games around those games, giving the Big Ten and
> > specifically
> >
> > > Northwestern little control in regards to time of games.
> >
> > >
> >
> > > - Northern Illinois: NIU is now insisting on home-and-home series
> > games (NU
> >
> > > has never played NIU away from home), which I don't think NU is
> > willing to
> >
> > > do. Maybe if it was 2 for one or better, NU may go for it, but Murphy
> >
> > > insists on having 7 home games (something I don't disagree with) and
> >
> > > home-and-home series against MAC level competition won't let NU get
> > there.
> >
> > >
> >
> > > - "Home" game away from Ryan Field: a bad idea and won't do anything
> for
> >
> > > numbers outside of on paper, especially since renting a facility and
> > dealing
> >
> > > with travel, etc. won't really make NU any money. And I completely
> > disagree
> >
> > > with the idea of selling out by moving a home game closer to an
> > opponent as
> >
> > > an attempt to get more fans - in that case don't even try to get home
> > games.
> >
> > >
> >
> > > - Day of Game discounts: GREAT idea. This is a college (amateur level)
> >
> > > sport. A $50 tag drives away almost every casual fan family who can't
> >
> > > afford that steep price - oh, and once they get to the game there's
> > no money
> >
> > > left for the pricey concessions. Especially for nonconference games,
> NU
> >
> > > needs to play with the prices (bring them down A LOT) to attract
> > people to
> >
> > > the game. The fact is that it can't hurt, NU saw TWO games this year
> > under
> >
> > > 20,000 in attendance with another THREE just over 20,000.
> >
> > >
> >
> > > Anyways, not trying to shoot down any idea, the fact is NU needs a new
>
> >
> > > well-thought-out strategy regarding attendance and filling the seats.
> I
> >
> > > would hope that this discussion is starting in the athletic department
> >
> > > shortly, and IMHO it would be advisable to include NU fans in the
> > discussion
> >
> > > (maybe a town hall type format or an internet exchange).
> >
> > >
> >
> > > Jonathan
> >
> > >
> >
> > >
> >
> > > On Nov 16, 2007 8:49 PM, < WildElk2@aol.com> wrote:
> >
> > >
> >
> > >
> >
> > >> Master of the Obvious Dept.: The 12 game schedule has made it more
> >
> > >> difficult
> >
> > >> to get decent crowds, although Mark Murphy is on record that he will
> > take
> >
> > >> a
> >
> > >> win at home in front of 15,000, as he feels that more wins will
> >
> > >> eventually
> >
> > >> equal more people.
> >
> > >> With the BTN, there may be more flexibility of starting times. Maybe
> >
> > >> we
> >
> > >> can ask the BTN for more 2:30 PM games (as well as an occasional
> night
> >
> > >> game)? 11:00 AM kick-offs have to keep at least a few people away.
> The
> >
> > >> Duke
> >
> > >> game is perfect example, as it produced 6,7,000 more than the
> >
> > >> Northeastern/Nevada games.
> >
> > >> Get a series with Northern Ill.. A five year series with 3 games in
> >
> > >> Evanston. This would help both programs , who struggle with early
> season
> >
> > >>
> >
> > >> attendance issues.
> >
> > >> Schedule a "home" game outside of Dyche Stadium. This is not a
> paycheck
> >
> > >> game like the one we disgustingly played vs. Ohio St. at Cleveland
> >
> > >> Municipal
> >
> > >> Stadium in the early Nineties. There are plenty of small stadiums
> >
> > >> across the
> >
> > >> country that hold 20,000-25,000. An example would be Hershey Park
> >
> > >> Stadium
> >
> > >> in Hershey, Pa., which holds 20,000. In 2009 we play Towson; a
> perfect
> >
> > >> game
> >
> > >> to make it easy for east coast alums and fans. Notre Dame is playing
> >
> > >> "home"
> >
> > >> games in San Antonio and Jacksonville in the near future.
> >
> > >> On the day of the game, if we have a 20,000-25,000 ish crowd, sell
> the
> >
> > >> end zone and goal-line seats for $5, and advertise the hell out of it
> >
> > >> via
> >
> > >> newspapers, radio, TV. Just get people here; they'll buy hot dogs,
> >
> > >> programs,
> >
> > >> and once in a while, they'll get a junkie hooked like me, who paid
> > $4 for
> >
> > >> end
> >
> > >> zone seats circa. 1980. In the same vein, bring back Band Day and
> sell
> >
> > >> all
> >
> > >> those crappy seats for a $1 for each band member.
> >
> > >> Crowds(?) of 16,000, 17,000, and 20,000 for a conference game is
> >
> > >> unacceptable. Time to take steps to change.
> >
> > >> As far as the Illinois game, I anticipate a hard-hitting nail-biter,
> >
> > >> but
> >
> > >> I'm picking Illinois to win, as after 4 straight wins, it's
> Illinois's
> >
> > >> turn.
> >
> > >> They will not take us lightly, and after 4 straight losses and so
> > much on
> >
> > >> the line, I see no let-down. We need to stop the run, period. With
> that
> >
> > >> said,
> >
> > >> I see a 31-27 Illinois win. If we can stop the run , we'll give
> >
> > >> ourselves
> >
> > >> a chance to win.
> >
> > >>
> >
> > >> GO CATS!!! Eric
> >
> > >>
> >
> > >>
> >
> > >>
> >
> > >>
> >
> > >> ************************************** See what's new at
> >
> > >> http://www.aol.com
> >
> > >> _______________________________________________
> >
> > >> nwu-sports site list
> >
> > >> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> >
> > >> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> >
> > >>
> >
> > >>
> >
> > >
> >
> > >
> >
> > >
> >
> > >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> > nwu-sports site list
> >
> > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> >
> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Sun Nov 18 17:48:33 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Sun Nov 18 17:38:38 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Carr Retires
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711181548j2c167d88rd4801bfd3317646b@mail.gmail.com>

It's official:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3117704

Jonathan

-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Sun Nov 18 18:56:53 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Sun Nov 18 18:46:53 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Updated: PIGSKIN PICKS - Week 13
Message-ID: <900092.31822.qm@web52910.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

Thank you to everyone for the kind words. You can tell
how out of it I was yesterday by how I left off the
biggest game in the schedule. So please respond to the
updated pick list below ...

> PIGSKIN PICKS - WEEK 13
> #######################
> Name: 
> 
> NATIONAL
> ========
> Game  1: Southern Cal @ Arizona St.
> Winner : 
> 
> Game  2: Arkansas @ Louisiana State
> Winner : 
> 
> Game  3: Texas @ Texas A&M
> Winner : 
> 
> Game  4: Boise State @ Hawaii
> Winner : 
> 
> Game  5: Florida State @ Florida
> Winner : 
> 
> Game  6: Georgia @ Georgia Tech
> Winner : 
> 
> Game  7: Kansas vs. Missouri (@ Kansas City, MO)
> Winner : 
> 
> Game  8: Alabama @ Auburn
> Winner : 
> 
> Game  9: Virginia Tech @ Virginia
> Winner : 
> 
> Game 10: Tennessee @ Kentucky
> Winner : 
> 
> MY PICKS
> ========
> * ARIZONA ST. 30, Southern Cal 24 - Should be a
> dandy
> in the desert as Oregon's loss opened things up for
> the Devils and they don't disappoint at home.
> 
> * LSU 41, Arkansas 21 - The Tigers avoid the BCS
> trap
> in the rivalry game.
> 
> * TEXAS A&M 24, Texas 21 - Small upset here as the
> Horns have been living dangerously and the Aggies
> give
> Coach Fran a final sendoff to spoil their rivals'
> BCS
> hopes.
> 
> * HAWAII 49, Boise State 42 - Should be a fun one as
> this year's BCS buster beats last year's ... now the
> Warriors gotta see if they can duplicate BSU's bowl
> win.
> 
> * FLORIDA 47, Florida St. 30 - One thing Meyer knows
> how to do (besides beat Mack Brown at a poll whining
> contest) is beat rival schools.
> 
> * GEORGIA 30, Georgia Tech 17 - No upset here as the
> Dawgs can smell the BCS.
> 
> * KANSAS 45, Missouri 38 - Should be a dandy game
and I think the Tigers are the better team on most
days, but the Jayhawks just find a way to win like
they have all year.
> 
> * AUBURN 21, Alabama 14 - If this is indeed
> Tuberville's farewell, Auburn fans better enjoy one
> last chance to beat Bama for awhile.
> 
> * VIRGINIA TECH 26, Virginia 20 - The Cavs have
> lived
> dangerously all year and could pull an upset, but
> the
> Hokies are the better team and get to the ACC title
> game to make it an intriguing game for once vs.
> Clemson.
> 
> * KENTUCKY 34, Tennessee 30 - If the Vols don't
> choke
> away their SEC lead this week, they will for
> Woodson's
> home finale.
> 
> Remember, picks in by kickoff Thursday.
> Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving.
> 
> - Stephen
> 
> * * * * * * * * *
> STEPHEN J. TRUOG
> sjtruog@yahoo.com
> GO CATS!!!
> 

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!


      ____________________________________________________________________________________
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with Yahoo Mobile. Try it now.  http://mobile.yahoo.com/sports;_ylt=At9_qDKvtAbMuh1G1SQtBI7ntAcJ

From WildElk2 at aol.com  Sun Nov 18 22:11:40 2007
From: WildElk2 at aol.com (WildElk2@aol.com)
Date: Sun Nov 18 22:02:42 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Illinois, 2007
Message-ID: <c31.1d1e5b16.347266fc@aol.com>

A fine performance by our opposition yesterday.   I  wasn't too upset as it 
felt a little like 1995, except with Illinois wearing the  glass slipper.   
Just for fun, would we have been a BCS at-large in  1996?  Keep in mind, we tied 
for 1st in the conference.
   6-6.  Our fellow list member Dennis can attest to my  lament while 
watching the Nevada game with him.  Prior to the season,   I predicted 8-4, 7-5 at 
the worst, and 6-6 would be a disappointment.   While this was true,  I bellowed 
while watching Nevada push our defense all  over the place. "We're a .500 
bunch if ever I saw one."
   I expected our defense, especially our d-backs and d-line, to  play much 
better than they did.  As Dennis stated in his post,  they  did an OK job 
stopping the run, but pass rush and pass defense was awful, all  season. John Gill 
was the only one not asleep at the wheel; I  was unimpressed with Ngene and 
Wooten.  I remember Mims making a  few big plays, but not enough.  I thought 
Corbin Bryant would supplant some  one in the starting line-up, but that never 
happened.
   The line backers performed better than I thought.  I  don't remember 
Dennis's  grade at LB, but with Simpson, Kadela,  Kwateng, Malleo, Davies, etc. ; I 
thought they deserved a B.  The  d-line checked in with a D, as they did OK 
stopping the run, but beside Gill,  could not put consistent pressure on the 
opposing QB. 
  The defensive back field was equally un-impressive as our line  men.  I'll 
give them a C , as I like McManus (despite getting torched vs.  iowa) , and 
Phillips received 12 games of OJT one year prior to when he was  projected to 
start.   As Dennis stated, a better pass rush would have  helped good but not 
great players like McPhearson and Battle.  Thus, I give  them a C,  rather than 
a lousy mark such as a D or F.
   Punting:  I'll give an ugly B, as the directional kicks  prevented big 
returns.  Looked nasty, but it worked.  
   Over-all defensive grade:  D.  Too many yards and  points.  I saw no 
over-all improvement from 2006.  Keep in mind  that our 2006 defense stayed on the 
field as on offense went 3 and out,  especially the first 7 games.
   OFFENSE:  QB:  Improved from an F in 2006 to a "C"  in 2007.  I like 
Bacher, but I'm from Pennsylvania, and I would love to see  competition for QB in 
2008; i.e. I want to see Dan Persa given a chance to win  the starting 
position.   While I know this probably won't  happen,  I know (from watching him two 
times in persa, I mean person  hahaha) Dan can run better than C.J.  Bacher 
looked better at the beginning  of the season when frequently he pulled a Baz abd 
chucked the ball out of  bounds.  Late in the season , he felt a need to try 
to throw impossible  passes that had little chance at success.  
   RB:  1400 yards produced between our 3 RB's.  I  didn't look at the amount 
of receptions, but what our coaches asked the RB's to  do, they did.  Our 
yards per carry was around 4.8, so while the production  was average, I think the 
RB corp deserves a B as they did better than I thought,  what with Sutton's 
injury, as well as few carries.
   OL:  Dennis, I'm not as disappointed with this group as  you are.  I 
thought they did a better than average job pass blocking for  CJ, and an average 
job opening holes for our 3 backs.  This group, while  not over whelming, 
deserves a C.
   FG:  Villareal started like a house on fire.  He hit  his 1st 7 FG tries, 
but was .500 after that.  As such,  his cold  streak had to cost us at least a 
game.  At NU, we need to find an A  kicker.  This season, we improved from an 
F in 2006 to a D.  It was  better, but not by much.
  Specials:  I was impressed by our ability to cut down on giving  up big 
plays.  I trusted our special teams.  While we rarely produced  a big play,  our 
special teams didn't blow games like we have done in  seasons past.  As such, 
I give them a C, bordering on a B.  If  Villareal kicked a few more through 
the pipes, it would be a B.
   The Question:  I commented that our schedule would save  us  this season  
We traded Penn St. and Wisky for Indiana and  Minnesota.  We went 6-6 ; and 
while Wisky and PSU are not the New England  Patriots, chances are we wouldn't 
have swept them.  Are we any better than  what we were last year?   Especially 
the last 5 games, when we went  2-3, and blew a 38-3 lead in one of those 
losses.?  
   Certainly, we were better than the group that checked in at  2-5 before 
Bacher came back from his injury.   In 2008, we have to  replace Thiry and Rees. 
 Under Walker, replacing OL men was never much of a  problem, as RW always 
had guys ready to step in.  We also know that Brendan  Smith will help our 
Defensive backfield, as he received a medical hardship, and  I assume Jordin Mabin 
was red-shirted and ready to join McManus.
  On defense, we lose Kadela, McPhearson and Battle.  I see it  both ways 
here:  we need to replace a lot of starts, but how much talent  are we losing?  I 
think we'll miss Rees and Thiry much more.
  In closing this long post,  we went in the right direction, but  I fear it 
wasn't  enough. We needed to get to a bowl, and there's a  99% chance that 
won't happen.   To be sure, a bowl needs to happen  next season, for reasons to 
numerous to mention.
 
            GO  CATS!!!               Eric



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From bwdolphin146 at yahoo.com  Mon Nov 19 02:20:04 2007
From: bwdolphin146 at yahoo.com (Brad Wilson)
Date: Mon Nov 19 02:10:00 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] were we all resigned to a disaster?
Message-ID: <57173.89720.qm@web51303.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

Geez, not much comment here on Saturday's horrendous
loss -- guess we all saw it coming.

I was there -- my one trip a season -- and have
several comments:

1) the $10 end zone tickets are a steal -- we sat in
V, row 39, and had a great view. 

2) Illini fans are still a bunch of ignorant,
irritating front-runners when it comes to football
(one of them was giving my friend the Wisconsin fan a
hard time about bowl games, which, given UW's record
in them lately, takes colossal nerve). 

3) This was by far the worst effort vs. the Illini
since the early 1990's -- the Trib called it pathetic
and I would agree, excepting Sutton (when he got the
ball, that is), Peterman, Gill, Kadela, Demos, and
McManis. There was no spark, no passion, no intensity
-- if NU wanted to play in a bowl it surely did not
show. Take away the stupid penalties (the holding
calls on the WRs were bogus anyway) and the
interceptions and maybe the offense did enough to win
but the defense was simply totally outclassed -- the
pass coverage was embarrassing, the pass rush
miserable and the 3rd-down defense hideous. Didn't
anybody watch the Illinois-OSU game for a tip on what
Juice might do? How about spy him with a safety or a
linebacker -- but given the way NU tackled, it
wouldn't have mattered anyway. I refuse to understand
why the NU offense can play with anybody while the
defense looks like amateur hour. Colby and Brown must
go -- Brown has coached Reggie McPherson for years and
McPherson's still clueless as the long pass showed
Saturday.

4) All credit to NUMB for a terrific, spirit-filled
performance that helped keep MY spirits up during a
dreadful game. The band irritated the Illini fans
around me so it was doing a great job! If the team had
shown half the spirit the band did, the game may have
been different.

bw





      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better sports nut!  Let your teams follow you 
with Yahoo Mobile. Try it now.  http://mobile.yahoo.com/sports;_ylt=At9_qDKvtAbMuh1G1SQtBI7ntAcJ

From jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com  Mon Nov 19 11:38:08 2007
From: jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com (Jeff Beamsley)
Date: Mon Nov 19 11:29:02 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Recruiting
Message-ID: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0A0C@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>

I was just doing a little googling because of Carr's retirement and came
across something that Jim Harbaugh said regarding recruiting at Stanford that
I think bears repeating for this group.  By way of attribution, this was
originally published in the NYT.  
 
I think you can generally do a cut and paste replacing Stanford with NU and
expect that it represents PF's philosophy too.  BTW, Harbaugh estimates that
there are 100-150 kids in this pool of recruits compared to 1000 in the pool
of recruits for most other BCS schools.  The difference is that those 100-150
have already demonstrated by their academic success that they DO value
education.  So schools like Stanford and NU have a leg up in recruiting them.
Because they are going to be spread out all over the country, we have to
focus nationally, and we have to get to them early to make sure that we are
on their list.  We only need 10-20 every year.
 
Jeff
 
Why did you speak out about your academic experience at Michigan earlier this
year, condemning them for steering athletes into general studies?

The whole thrust of that was basically I'd like to see more schools do it
like Stanford does it. I wasn't singling Michigan out. I wish more schools
would have the kind of character that Stanford does as an institution. They
won't significantly cut corners for athletes here. They have a sincere desire
for athletes to improve academically. They're not just interested in how fast
you run and how high you jump. There's a standard to get into Stanford, to
graduate from Stanford and a character that they will not cut corners. 

Your pool is limited here. What surprised you when the reality of who you can
and can't recruit has come up in the last 10 months? 

It's a smaller pool. What's surprised me? I knew that it was a small pool.
That wasn't surprising. But I think the thing is that if you can get the
message out early. This is the key thing, getting the message out to
scholar-athletes when they are freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors. To
get it to them at an early age. What a Stanford degree is worth. What a
Stanford degree can do for you. Let them know what to aspire to, and they
will do it. I think that the problem is that people say, 'You don't have to
do that. You don't have to take an A.P. course or an honors course.' People
will rise to the level that you expect of them. The good news is that you can
get to parents and perspective scholar-athletes at a younger age and get them
to take a rigorous schedule and get them to prepare for the ACT and SAT
testing. B's and A's are what you're shooting for, no C's. D's won't be
accepted. There's a standard to get in and we're not going to bend that
standard. 

How have you got that message out? 

Recruiting the transcript as well as the player. Recruiting the coach, the
counselor, the principal and the parents to let them know what it is that
they're shooting for. 

 

 
From johnadeg at comcast.net  Mon Nov 19 13:45:50 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Mon Nov 19 13:35:53 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
Message-ID: <111920071945.19987.4741E7EE00051F6500004E132216566276090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

I doubt that Evanston politicians are any different from those in Washington or at the state and local levels.  Revisit the limitations on night games and give them some season tickets and parking slots.
  No connection between the two events of course.
John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Jonathan Hodges" <jonathanwhodges@gmail.com>
> I believe it is based on the start time of the game: e.g. anything after 6PM
> would be a night game (2:30 starts, although requiring temporary lights, are
> not considered night games).  Of course I can't find any direct reference to
> the rule that allows only one night game per year, although it may just be
> an "unofficial" agreement between the school and the city.
> 
> Also, night games are typically announced before the season.
> 
> Jonathan
> 
> On Nov 18, 2007 1:57 PM, Michael Vance < michael.vance@att.net> wrote:
> 
> > What qualifies as a "night game" for the Evanston ordinance? Is it
> > defined by kickoff beyond a certain time, regardless of the time of year
> > and amount of available natural light or is it based on whether we need
> > to put up the temporary artificial lights?
> >
> > -Michael
> >
> > Mark Ament wrote:
> > >
> > > Our game was allowed because it was on the ESPN family of networks, of
> > > which ABC is only a small player these days. There are certain weeks
> > > in which BTN has second choice, I believe it's twice a year, but it
> > > won't be on the last week of the year. It may have been last week as
> > > the tOSU-Wisky game was forced on the BTN.
> > >
> > > The BTN games I believe are exempt from the no conflict rule and can
> > > be opposite both ESPN and ABC games so shouldn't interfere with time
> > > changes, should NU decide to adopt a different start time for some
> > > games next year. Keep in mind however, that NU is bound by the
> > > Evanston ordinance that permits only one night game per season and has
> > > shown no inclination to ask for that to be changed.
> > >
> > > Mark
> > >
> > > SportsBiz – The Business of Sports Illuminated
> > > <http://thesportsbizblog.blogspot.com/>
> > >
> > > When it comes to sports, you know it's all about
> > >
> > > the money.
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com ]
> > > On Behalf Of Michael Vance
> > > Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 12:51 AM
> > > To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > > Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Attendance
> > >
> > > Are the rules regarding the scheduling of games opposite ABC published
> > >
> > > somewhere? Because today there were two Big Ten games at 12:00 EST
> > >
> > > (Mich-OSU on ABC and NU-Ill on EPSN) and four at 3:30 (MSU-PSU on
> > >
> > > ABC/ESPN regional coverage, and the rest on BTN. Was our game allowed
> > >
> > > opposite Mich-OSU because it was on another ABC network?
> > >
> > > Also, didn't I read something about BTN getting second pick some weeks?
> > >
> > > I agree that more late starts would help attendance a lot for NU and
> > >
> > > other Central time teams.
> > >
> > > -Michael
> > >
> > > Jonathan Hodges wrote:
> > >
> > > > Some good ideas - obviously some new and fresh ideas are needed to
> > > address
> > >
> > > > this issue, because outside of winning a lot of games year in and
> > > year out,
> > >
> > > > the old stuff isn't working. I would like to address some the things
> > that
> > >
> > > > you brought up, though:
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > > - Starting times: it's all in the hands of the networks, and the
> > > agreement
> > >
> > > > with ESPN says that no BTN games can be opposite the "marquee" ABC
> > > matchup
> > >
> > > > of the day (typically the 2:30 slot, but in the case of the
> > OSU/Michigan
> > >
> > > > game it's noon). ESPN/ABC gets their pick(s) first, and the BTN has to
> > >
> > > > schedule their games around those games, giving the Big Ten and
> > > specifically
> > >
> > > > Northwestern little control in regards to time of games.
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > > - Northern Illinois: NIU is now insisting on home-and-home series
> > > games (NU
> > >
> > > > has never played NIU away from home), which I don't think NU is
> > > willing to
> > >
> > > > do. Maybe if it was 2 for one or better, NU may go for it, but Murphy
> > >
> > > > insists on having 7 home games (something I don't disagree with) and
> > >
> > > > home-and-home series against MAC level competition won't let NU get
> > > there.
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > > - "Home" game away from Ryan Field: a bad idea and won't do anything
> > for
> > >
> > > > numbers outside of on paper, especially since renting a facility and
> > > dealing
> > >
> > > > with travel, etc. won't really make NU any money. And I completely
> > > disagree
> > >
> > > > with the idea of selling out by moving a home game closer to an
> > > opponent as
> > >
> > > > an attempt to get more fans - in that case don't even try to get home
> > > games.
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > > - Day of Game discounts: GREAT idea. This is a college (amateur level)
> > >
> > > > sport. A $50 tag drives away almost every casual fan family who can't
> > >
> > > > afford that steep price - oh, and once they get to the game there's
> > > no money
> > >
> > > > left for the pricey concessions. Especially for nonconference games,
> > NU
> > >
> > > > needs to play with the prices (bring them down A LOT) to attract
> > > people to
> > >
> > > > the game. The fact is that it can't hurt, NU saw TWO games this year
> > > under
> > >
> > > > 20,000 in attendance with another THREE just over 20,000.
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > > Anyways, not trying to shoot down any idea, the fact is NU needs a new
> >
> > >
> > > > well-thought-out strategy regarding attendance and filling the seats.
> > I
> > >
> > > > would hope that this discussion is starting in the athletic department
> > >
> > > > shortly, and IMHO it would be advisable to include NU fans in the
> > > discussion
> > >
> > > > (maybe a town hall type format or an internet exchange).
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > > Jonathan
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > > On Nov 16, 2007 8:49 PM, < WildElk2@aol.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > >> Master of the Obvious Dept.: The 12 game schedule has made it more
> > >
> > > >> difficult
> > >
> > > >> to get decent crowds, although Mark Murphy is on record that he will
> > > take
> > >
> > > >> a
> > >
> > > >> win at home in front of 15,000, as he feels that more wins will
> > >
> > > >> eventually
> > >
> > > >> equal more people.
> > >
> > > >> With the BTN, there may be more flexibility of starting times. Maybe
> > >
> > > >> we
> > >
> > > >> can ask the BTN for more 2:30 PM games (as well as an occasional
> > night
> > >
> > > >> game)? 11:00 AM kick-offs have to keep at least a few people away.
> > The
> > >
> > > >> Duke
> > >
> > > >> game is perfect example, as it produced 6,7,000 more than the
> > >
> > > >> Northeastern/Nevada games.
> > >
> > > >> Get a series with Northern Ill.. A five year series with 3 games in
> > >
> > > >> Evanston. This would help both programs , who struggle with early
> > season
> > >
> > > >>
> > >
> > > >> attendance issues.
> > >
> > > >> Schedule a "home" game outside of Dyche Stadium. This is not a
> > paycheck
> > >
> > > >> game like the one we disgustingly played vs. Ohio St. at Cleveland
> > >
> > > >> Municipal
> > >
> > > >> Stadium in the early Nineties. There are plenty of small stadiums
> > >
> > > >> across the
> > >
> > > >> country that hold 20,000-25,000. An example would be Hershey Park
> > >
> > > >> Stadium
> > >
> > > >> in Hershey, Pa., which holds 20,000. In 2009 we play Towson; a
> > perfect
> > >
> > > >> game
> > >
> > > >> to make it easy for east coast alums and fans. Notre Dame is playing
> > >
> > > >> "home"
> > >
> > > >> games in San Antonio and Jacksonville in the near future.
> > >
> > > >> On the day of the game, if we have a 20,000-25,000 ish crowd, sell
> > the
> > >
> > > >> end zone and goal-line seats for $5, and advertise the hell out of it
> > >
> > > >> via
> > >
> > > >> newspapers, radio, TV. Just get people here; they'll buy hot dogs,
> > >
> > > >> programs,
> > >
> > > >> and once in a while, they'll get a junkie hooked like me, who paid
> > > $4 for
> > >
> > > >> end
> > >
> > > >> zone seats circa. 1980. In the same vein, bring back Band Day and
> > sell
> > >
> > > >> all
> > >
> > > >> those crappy seats for a $1 for each band member.
> > >
> > > >> Crowds(?) of 16,000, 17,000, and 20,000 for a conference game is
> > >
> > > >> unacceptable. Time to take steps to change.
> > >
> > > >> As far as the Illinois game, I anticipate a hard-hitting nail-biter,
> > >
> > > >> but
> > >
> > > >> I'm picking Illinois to win, as after 4 straight wins, it's
> > Illinois's
> > >
> > > >> turn.
> > >
> > > >> They will not take us lightly, and after 4 straight losses and so
> > > much on
> > >
> > > >> the line, I see no let-down. We need to stop the run, period. With
> > that
> > >
> > > >> said,
> > >
> > > >> I see a 31-27 Illinois win. If we can stop the run , we'll give
> > >
> > > >> ourselves
> > >
> > > >> a chance to win.
> > >
> > > >>
> > >
> > > >> GO CATS!!! Eric
> > >
> > > >>
> > >
> > > >>
> > >
> > > >>
> > >
> > > >>
> > >
> > > >> ************************************** See what's new at
> > >
> > > >> http://www.aol.com
> > >
> > > >> _______________________________________________
> > >
> > > >> nwu-sports site list
> > >
> > > >> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > >
> > > >> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> > >
> > > >>
> > >
> > > >>
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > >
> > > nwu-sports site list
> > >
> > > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > >
> > > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> > >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > nwu-sports site list
> > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> >
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Jonathan W. Hodges
> 1237 Emerson St Apt 2
> Evanston, IL  60201-3577
> (847) 736-2449
> jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com  Mon Nov 19 14:16:17 2007
From: jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com (Jeff Beamsley)
Date: Mon Nov 19 14:07:00 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
In-Reply-To: <111920071945.19987.4741E7EE00051F6500004E132216566276090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
References: <111920071945.19987.4741E7EE00051F6500004E132216566276090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0A5A@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>

 
How long did you live in Evanston?

The cynicism about politicians aside, this is not the sort of relationship
that can be easily lubricated with football tickets.

The town and the University have been at odds for years because both feel
that they would be better off if the other didn't exist.  

The city feels that the University uses more than its fair share of services
since it pays no real estate taxes.  Also, unlike many other private
universities, it makes no voluntary payments for additional real estate that
it may purchase and remove from the local tax rolls.  

The University feels that between students, teachers, and staff; it
contributes way more to the local economy than it uses in services.  

As a result, the city takes advantage of every opportunity it can to claw
back revenue that it feels it is owed.  The University on the other hand has
its own set of trench war tactics including continuing to expand its real
estate holdings in the community.

Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of johnadeg@comcast.net
Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 2:46 PM
To: Jonathan Hodges; Michael Vance
Cc: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Attendance

I doubt that Evanston politicians are any different from those in Washington
or at the state and local levels.  Revisit the limitations on night games and
give them some season tickets and parking slots.
  No connection between the two events of course.
John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Jonathan Hodges" <jonathanwhodges@gmail.com>
> I believe it is based on the start time of the game: e.g. anything 
> after 6PM would be a night game (2:30 starts, although requiring 
> temporary lights, are not considered night games).  Of course I can't 
> find any direct reference to the rule that allows only one night game 
> per year, although it may just be an "unofficial" agreement between the
school and the city.
> 
> Also, night games are typically announced before the season.
> 
> Jonathan
> 
> On Nov 18, 2007 1:57 PM, Michael Vance < michael.vance@att.net> wrote:
> 
> > What qualifies as a "night game" for the Evanston ordinance? Is it 
> > defined by kickoff beyond a certain time, regardless of the time of 
> > year and amount of available natural light or is it based on whether 
> > we need to put up the temporary artificial lights?
> >
> > -Michael
> >
> > Mark Ament wrote:
> > >
> > > Our game was allowed because it was on the ESPN family of 
> > > networks, of which ABC is only a small player these days. There 
> > > are certain weeks in which BTN has second choice, I believe it's 
> > > twice a year, but it won't be on the last week of the year. It may 
> > > have been last week as the tOSU-Wisky game was forced on the BTN.
> > >
> > > The BTN games I believe are exempt from the no conflict rule and 
> > > can be opposite both ESPN and ABC games so shouldn't interfere 
> > > with time changes, should NU decide to adopt a different start 
> > > time for some games next year. Keep in mind however, that NU is 
> > > bound by the Evanston ordinance that permits only one night game 
> > > per season and has shown no inclination to ask for that to be changed.
> > >
> > > Mark
> > >
> > > SportsBiz - The Business of Sports Illuminated 
> > > <http://thesportsbizblog.blogspot.com/>
> > >
> > > When it comes to sports, you know it's all about
> > >
> > > the money.
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com 
> > > [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com ] On Behalf Of Michael Vance
> > > Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 12:51 AM
> > > To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > > Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Attendance
> > >
> > > Are the rules regarding the scheduling of games opposite ABC 
> > > published
> > >
> > > somewhere? Because today there were two Big Ten games at 12:00 EST
> > >
> > > (Mich-OSU on ABC and NU-Ill on EPSN) and four at 3:30 (MSU-PSU on
> > >
> > > ABC/ESPN regional coverage, and the rest on BTN. Was our game 
> > > allowed
> > >
> > > opposite Mich-OSU because it was on another ABC network?
> > >
> > > Also, didn't I read something about BTN getting second pick some weeks?
> > >
> > > I agree that more late starts would help attendance a lot for NU 
> > > and
> > >
> > > other Central time teams.
> > >
> > > -Michael
> > >
> > > Jonathan Hodges wrote:
> > >
> > > > Some good ideas - obviously some new and fresh ideas are needed 
> > > > to
> > > address
> > >
> > > > this issue, because outside of winning a lot of games year in 
> > > > and
> > > year out,
> > >
> > > > the old stuff isn't working. I would like to address some the 
> > > > things
> > that
> > >
> > > > you brought up, though:
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > > - Starting times: it's all in the hands of the networks, and the
> > > agreement
> > >
> > > > with ESPN says that no BTN games can be opposite the "marquee" 
> > > > ABC
> > > matchup
> > >
> > > > of the day (typically the 2:30 slot, but in the case of the
> > OSU/Michigan
> > >
> > > > game it's noon). ESPN/ABC gets their pick(s) first, and the BTN 
> > > > has to
> > >
> > > > schedule their games around those games, giving the Big Ten and
> > > specifically
> > >
> > > > Northwestern little control in regards to time of games.
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > > - Northern Illinois: NIU is now insisting on home-and-home 
> > > > series
> > > games (NU
> > >
> > > > has never played NIU away from home), which I don't think NU is
> > > willing to
> > >
> > > > do. Maybe if it was 2 for one or better, NU may go for it, but 
> > > > Murphy
> > >
> > > > insists on having 7 home games (something I don't disagree with) 
> > > > and
> > >
> > > > home-and-home series against MAC level competition won't let NU 
> > > > get
> > > there.
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > > - "Home" game away from Ryan Field: a bad idea and won't do 
> > > > anything
> > for
> > >
> > > > numbers outside of on paper, especially since renting a facility 
> > > > and
> > > dealing
> > >
> > > > with travel, etc. won't really make NU any money. And I 
> > > > completely
> > > disagree
> > >
> > > > with the idea of selling out by moving a home game closer to an
> > > opponent as
> > >
> > > > an attempt to get more fans - in that case don't even try to get 
> > > > home
> > > games.
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > > - Day of Game discounts: GREAT idea. This is a college (amateur 
> > > > level)
> > >
> > > > sport. A $50 tag drives away almost every casual fan family who 
> > > > can't
> > >
> > > > afford that steep price - oh, and once they get to the game 
> > > > there's
> > > no money
> > >
> > > > left for the pricey concessions. Especially for nonconference 
> > > > games,
> > NU
> > >
> > > > needs to play with the prices (bring them down A LOT) to attract
> > > people to
> > >
> > > > the game. The fact is that it can't hurt, NU saw TWO games this 
> > > > year
> > > under
> > >
> > > > 20,000 in attendance with another THREE just over 20,000.
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > > Anyways, not trying to shoot down any idea, the fact is NU needs 
> > > > a new
> >
> > >
> > > > well-thought-out strategy regarding attendance and filling the seats.
> > I
> > >
> > > > would hope that this discussion is starting in the athletic 
> > > > department
> > >
> > > > shortly, and IMHO it would be advisable to include NU fans in 
> > > > the
> > > discussion
> > >
> > > > (maybe a town hall type format or an internet exchange).
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > > Jonathan
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > > On Nov 16, 2007 8:49 PM, < WildElk2@aol.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > >> Master of the Obvious Dept.: The 12 game schedule has made it 
> > > >> more
> > >
> > > >> difficult
> > >
> > > >> to get decent crowds, although Mark Murphy is on record that he 
> > > >> will
> > > take
> > >
> > > >> a
> > >
> > > >> win at home in front of 15,000, as he feels that more wins will
> > >
> > > >> eventually
> > >
> > > >> equal more people.
> > >
> > > >> With the BTN, there may be more flexibility of starting times. 
> > > >> Maybe
> > >
> > > >> we
> > >
> > > >> can ask the BTN for more 2:30 PM games (as well as an 
> > > >> occasional
> > night
> > >
> > > >> game)? 11:00 AM kick-offs have to keep at least a few people away.
> > The
> > >
> > > >> Duke
> > >
> > > >> game is perfect example, as it produced 6,7,000 more than the
> > >
> > > >> Northeastern/Nevada games.
> > >
> > > >> Get a series with Northern Ill.. A five year series with 3 
> > > >> games in
> > >
> > > >> Evanston. This would help both programs , who struggle with 
> > > >> early
> > season
> > >
> > > >>
> > >
> > > >> attendance issues.
> > >
> > > >> Schedule a "home" game outside of Dyche Stadium. This is not a
> > paycheck
> > >
> > > >> game like the one we disgustingly played vs. Ohio St. at 
> > > >> Cleveland
> > >
> > > >> Municipal
> > >
> > > >> Stadium in the early Nineties. There are plenty of small 
> > > >> stadiums
> > >
> > > >> across the
> > >
> > > >> country that hold 20,000-25,000. An example would be Hershey 
> > > >> Park
> > >
> > > >> Stadium
> > >
> > > >> in Hershey, Pa., which holds 20,000. In 2009 we play Towson; a
> > perfect
> > >
> > > >> game
> > >
> > > >> to make it easy for east coast alums and fans. Notre Dame is 
> > > >> playing
> > >
> > > >> "home"
> > >
> > > >> games in San Antonio and Jacksonville in the near future.
> > >
> > > >> On the day of the game, if we have a 20,000-25,000 ish crowd, 
> > > >> sell
> > the
> > >
> > > >> end zone and goal-line seats for $5, and advertise the hell out 
> > > >> of it
> > >
> > > >> via
> > >
> > > >> newspapers, radio, TV. Just get people here; they'll buy hot 
> > > >> dogs,
> > >
> > > >> programs,
> > >
> > > >> and once in a while, they'll get a junkie hooked like me, who 
> > > >> paid
> > > $4 for
> > >
> > > >> end
> > >
> > > >> zone seats circa. 1980. In the same vein, bring back Band Day 
> > > >> and
> > sell
> > >
> > > >> all
> > >
> > > >> those crappy seats for a $1 for each band member.
> > >
> > > >> Crowds(?) of 16,000, 17,000, and 20,000 for a conference game 
> > > >> is
> > >
> > > >> unacceptable. Time to take steps to change.
> > >
> > > >> As far as the Illinois game, I anticipate a hard-hitting 
> > > >> nail-biter,
> > >
> > > >> but
> > >
> > > >> I'm picking Illinois to win, as after 4 straight wins, it's
> > Illinois's
> > >
> > > >> turn.
> > >
> > > >> They will not take us lightly, and after 4 straight losses and 
> > > >> so
> > > much on
> > >
> > > >> the line, I see no let-down. We need to stop the run, period. 
> > > >> With
> > that
> > >
> > > >> said,
> > >
> > > >> I see a 31-27 Illinois win. If we can stop the run , we'll give
> > >
> > > >> ourselves
> > >
> > > >> a chance to win.
> > >
> > > >>
> > >
> > > >> GO CATS!!! Eric
> > >
> > > >>
> > >
> > > >>
> > >
> > > >>
> > >
> > > >>
> > >
> > > >> ************************************** See what's new at
> > >
> > > >> http://www.aol.com
> > >
> > > >> _______________________________________________
> > >
> > > >> nwu-sports site list
> > >
> > > >> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > >
> > > >> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> > >
> > > >>
> > >
> > > >>
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > >
> > > nwu-sports site list
> > >
> > > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > >
> > > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> > >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > nwu-sports site list
> > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> >
> 
> 
> 
> --
> Jonathan W. Hodges
> 1237 Emerson St Apt 2
> Evanston, IL  60201-3577
> (847) 736-2449
> jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

_______________________________________________
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nwu-sports@tssi.com
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From johnadeg at comcast.net  Mon Nov 19 14:28:01 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Mon Nov 19 14:18:07 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
Message-ID: <111920072028.23147.4741F1D1000534DE00005A6B2215555884090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

Few politicians have ever done anything without expecting something in return; look at all the earmarks and similar legislation.

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Jeff Beamsley" <jeff.beamsley@hilgraeve.com>
>  
> How long did you live in Evanston?
> 
> The cynicism about politicians aside, this is not the sort of relationship
> that can be easily lubricated with football tickets.
> 
> The town and the University have been at odds for years because both feel
> that they would be better off if the other didn't exist.  
> 
> The city feels that the University uses more than its fair share of services
> since it pays no real estate taxes.  Also, unlike many other private
> universities, it makes no voluntary payments for additional real estate that
> it may purchase and remove from the local tax rolls.  
> 
> The University feels that between students, teachers, and staff; it
> contributes way more to the local economy than it uses in services.  
> 
> As a result, the city takes advantage of every opportunity it can to claw
> back revenue that it feels it is owed.  The University on the other hand has
> its own set of trench war tactics including continuing to expand its real
> estate holdings in the community.
> 
> Jeff
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
> Behalf Of johnadeg@comcast.net
> Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 2:46 PM
> To: Jonathan Hodges; Michael Vance
> Cc: nwu-sports@tssi.com
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Attendance
> 
> I doubt that Evanston politicians are any different from those in Washington
> or at the state and local levels.  Revisit the limitations on night games and
> give them some season tickets and parking slots.
>   No connection between the two events of course.
> John DeGroat
>  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: "Jonathan Hodges" <jonathanwhodges@gmail.com>
> > I believe it is based on the start time of the game: e.g. anything 
> > after 6PM would be a night game (2:30 starts, although requiring 
> > temporary lights, are not considered night games).  Of course I can't 
> > find any direct reference to the rule that allows only one night game 
> > per year, although it may just be an "unofficial" agreement between the
> school and the city.
> > 
> > Also, night games are typically announced before the season.
> > 
> > Jonathan
> > 
> > On Nov 18, 2007 1:57 PM, Michael Vance < michael.vance@att.net> wrote:
> > 
> > > What qualifies as a "night game" for the Evanston ordinance? Is it 
> > > defined by kickoff beyond a certain time, regardless of the time of 
> > > year and amount of available natural light or is it based on whether 
> > > we need to put up the temporary artificial lights?
> > >
> > > -Michael
> > >
> > > Mark Ament wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Our game was allowed because it was on the ESPN family of 
> > > > networks, of which ABC is only a small player these days. There 
> > > > are certain weeks in which BTN has second choice, I believe it's 
> > > > twice a year, but it won't be on the last week of the year. It may 
> > > > have been last week as the tOSU-Wisky game was forced on the BTN.
> > > >
> > > > The BTN games I believe are exempt from the no conflict rule and 
> > > > can be opposite both ESPN and ABC games so shouldn't interfere 
> > > > with time changes, should NU decide to adopt a different start 
> > > > time for some games next year. Keep in mind however, that NU is 
> > > > bound by the Evanston ordinance that permits only one night game 
> > > > per season and has shown no inclination to ask for that to be changed.
> > > >
> > > > Mark
> > > >
> > > > SportsBiz - The Business of Sports Illuminated 
> > > > <http://thesportsbizblog.blogspot.com/>
> > > >
> > > > When it comes to sports, you know it's all about
> > > >
> > > > the money.
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com 
> > > > [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com ] On Behalf Of Michael Vance
> > > > Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 12:51 AM
> > > > To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > > > Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Attendance
> > > >
> > > > Are the rules regarding the scheduling of games opposite ABC 
> > > > published
> > > >
> > > > somewhere? Because today there were two Big Ten games at 12:00 EST
> > > >
> > > > (Mich-OSU on ABC and NU-Ill on EPSN) and four at 3:30 (MSU-PSU on
> > > >
> > > > ABC/ESPN regional coverage, and the rest on BTN. Was our game 
> > > > allowed
> > > >
> > > > opposite Mich-OSU because it was on another ABC network?
> > > >
> > > > Also, didn't I read something about BTN getting second pick some weeks?
> > > >
> > > > I agree that more late starts would help attendance a lot for NU 
> > > > and
> > > >
> > > > other Central time teams.
> > > >
> > > > -Michael
> > > >
> > > > Jonathan Hodges wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Some good ideas - obviously some new and fresh ideas are needed 
> > > > > to
> > > > address
> > > >
> > > > > this issue, because outside of winning a lot of games year in 
> > > > > and
> > > > year out,
> > > >
> > > > > the old stuff isn't working. I would like to address some the 
> > > > > things
> > > that
> > > >
> > > > > you brought up, though:
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > - Starting times: it's all in the hands of the networks, and the
> > > > agreement
> > > >
> > > > > with ESPN says that no BTN games can be opposite the "marquee" 
> > > > > ABC
> > > > matchup
> > > >
> > > > > of the day (typically the 2:30 slot, but in the case of the
> > > OSU/Michigan
> > > >
> > > > > game it's noon). ESPN/ABC gets their pick(s) first, and the BTN 
> > > > > has to
> > > >
> > > > > schedule their games around those games, giving the Big Ten and
> > > > specifically
> > > >
> > > > > Northwestern little control in regards to time of games.
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > - Northern Illinois: NIU is now insisting on home-and-home 
> > > > > series
> > > > games (NU
> > > >
> > > > > has never played NIU away from home), which I don't think NU is
> > > > willing to
> > > >
> > > > > do. Maybe if it was 2 for one or better, NU may go for it, but 
> > > > > Murphy
> > > >
> > > > > insists on having 7 home games (something I don't disagree with) 
> > > > > and
> > > >
> > > > > home-and-home series against MAC level competition won't let NU 
> > > > > get
> > > > there.
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > - "Home" game away from Ryan Field: a bad idea and won't do 
> > > > > anything
> > > for
> > > >
> > > > > numbers outside of on paper, especially since renting a facility 
> > > > > and
> > > > dealing
> > > >
> > > > > with travel, etc. won't really make NU any money. And I 
> > > > > completely
> > > > disagree
> > > >
> > > > > with the idea of selling out by moving a home game closer to an
> > > > opponent as
> > > >
> > > > > an attempt to get more fans - in that case don't even try to get 
> > > > > home
> > > > games.
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > - Day of Game discounts: GREAT idea. This is a college (amateur 
> > > > > level)
> > > >
> > > > > sport. A $50 tag drives away almost every casual fan family who 
> > > > > can't
> > > >
> > > > > afford that steep price - oh, and once they get to the game 
> > > > > there's
> > > > no money
> > > >
> > > > > left for the pricey concessions. Especially for nonconference 
> > > > > games,
> > > NU
> > > >
> > > > > needs to play with the prices (bring them down A LOT) to attract
> > > > people to
> > > >
> > > > > the game. The fact is that it can't hurt, NU saw TWO games this 
> > > > > year
> > > > under
> > > >
> > > > > 20,000 in attendance with another THREE just over 20,000.
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > Anyways, not trying to shoot down any idea, the fact is NU needs 
> > > > > a new
> > >
> > > >
> > > > > well-thought-out strategy regarding attendance and filling the seats.
> > > I
> > > >
> > > > > would hope that this discussion is starting in the athletic 
> > > > > department
> > > >
> > > > > shortly, and IMHO it would be advisable to include NU fans in 
> > > > > the
> > > > discussion
> > > >
> > > > > (maybe a town hall type format or an internet exchange).
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > Jonathan
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > On Nov 16, 2007 8:49 PM, < WildElk2@aol.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > >> Master of the Obvious Dept.: The 12 game schedule has made it 
> > > > >> more
> > > >
> > > > >> difficult
> > > >
> > > > >> to get decent crowds, although Mark Murphy is on record that he 
> > > > >> will
> > > > take
> > > >
> > > > >> a
> > > >
> > > > >> win at home in front of 15,000, as he feels that more wins will
> > > >
> > > > >> eventually
> > > >
> > > > >> equal more people.
> > > >
> > > > >> With the BTN, there may be more flexibility of starting times. 
> > > > >> Maybe
> > > >
> > > > >> we
> > > >
> > > > >> can ask the BTN for more 2:30 PM games (as well as an 
> > > > >> occasional
> > > night
> > > >
> > > > >> game)? 11:00 AM kick-offs have to keep at least a few people away.
> > > The
> > > >
> > > > >> Duke
> > > >
> > > > >> game is perfect example, as it produced 6,7,000 more than the
> > > >
> > > > >> Northeastern/Nevada games.
> > > >
> > > > >> Get a series with Northern Ill.. A five year series with 3 
> > > > >> games in
> > > >
> > > > >> Evanston. This would help both programs , who struggle with 
> > > > >> early
> > > season
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >> attendance issues.
> > > >
> > > > >> Schedule a "home" game outside of Dyche Stadium. This is not a
> > > paycheck
> > > >
> > > > >> game like the one we disgustingly played vs. Ohio St. at 
> > > > >> Cleveland
> > > >
> > > > >> Municipal
> > > >
> > > > >> Stadium in the early Nineties. There are plenty of small 
> > > > >> stadiums
> > > >
> > > > >> across the
> > > >
> > > > >> country that hold 20,000-25,000. An example would be Hershey 
> > > > >> Park
> > > >
> > > > >> Stadium
> > > >
> > > > >> in Hershey, Pa., which holds 20,000. In 2009 we play Towson; a
> > > perfect
> > > >
> > > > >> game
> > > >
> > > > >> to make it easy for east coast alums and fans. Notre Dame is 
> > > > >> playing
> > > >
> > > > >> "home"
> > > >
> > > > >> games in San Antonio and Jacksonville in the near future.
> > > >
> > > > >> On the day of the game, if we have a 20,000-25,000 ish crowd, 
> > > > >> sell
> > > the
> > > >
> > > > >> end zone and goal-line seats for $5, and advertise the hell out 
> > > > >> of it
> > > >
> > > > >> via
> > > >
> > > > >> newspapers, radio, TV. Just get people here; they'll buy hot 
> > > > >> dogs,
> > > >
> > > > >> programs,
> > > >
> > > > >> and once in a while, they'll get a junkie hooked like me, who 
> > > > >> paid
> > > > $4 for
> > > >
> > > > >> end
> > > >
> > > > >> zone seats circa. 1980. In the same vein, bring back Band Day 
> > > > >> and
> > > sell
> > > >
> > > > >> all
> > > >
> > > > >> those crappy seats for a $1 for each band member.
> > > >
> > > > >> Crowds(?) of 16,000, 17,000, and 20,000 for a conference game 
> > > > >> is
> > > >
> > > > >> unacceptable. Time to take steps to change.
> > > >
> > > > >> As far as the Illinois game, I anticipate a hard-hitting 
> > > > >> nail-biter,
> > > >
> > > > >> but
> > > >
> > > > >> I'm picking Illinois to win, as after 4 straight wins, it's
> > > Illinois's
> > > >
> > > > >> turn.
> > > >
> > > > >> They will not take us lightly, and after 4 straight losses and 
> > > > >> so
> > > > much on
> > > >
> > > > >> the line, I see no let-down. We need to stop the run, period. 
> > > > >> With
> > > that
> > > >
> > > > >> said,
> > > >
> > > > >> I see a 31-27 Illinois win. If we can stop the run , we'll give
> > > >
> > > > >> ourselves
> > > >
> > > > >> a chance to win.
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >> GO CATS!!! Eric
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >> ************************************** See what's new at
> > > >
> > > > >> http://www.aol.com
> > > >
> > > > >> _______________________________________________
> > > >
> > > > >> nwu-sports site list
> > > >
> > > > >> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > > >
> > > > >> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > >
> > > > nwu-sports site list
> > > >
> > > > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > > >
> > > > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> > > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > nwu-sports site list
> > > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> > >
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > --
> > Jonathan W. Hodges
> > 1237 Emerson St Apt 2
> > Evanston, IL  60201-3577
> > (847) 736-2449
> > jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
> > _______________________________________________
> > nwu-sports site list
> > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com  Mon Nov 19 14:45:07 2007
From: jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com (Jeff Beamsley)
Date: Mon Nov 19 14:35:52 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
In-Reply-To: <111920072028.23147.4741F1D1000534DE00005A6B2215555884090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
References: <111920072028.23147.4741F1D1000534DE00005A6B2215555884090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0A67@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>

I think that profligate federal spending is a crime too, but that's not what
this post is about.

If the University were willing to change it's position (something is likely
to freeze over first) and pay the millions of dollars that the city feels it
is owed in property taxes, I'm sure that the city would allow the University
to hold as many night games as it wanted.

Until then, it doesn't make any difference how much you are willing to pay
the local politicians.  

The city is going to be uncooperative.

If this were Chicago, you might have some hope of getting a deal done, but
it's not.

Reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Mike Royko who said Chicago was
unique because when you bought a politician they stayed bought.  Everyplace
else you only get to rent them for a while.

Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: johnadeg@comcast.net [mailto:johnadeg@comcast.net] 
Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 3:28 PM
To: Jeff Beamsley; nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: RE: [NU Sports] Attendance

Few politicians have ever done anything without expecting something in
return; look at all the earmarks and similar legislation.

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Jeff Beamsley" <jeff.beamsley@hilgraeve.com>
>  
> How long did you live in Evanston?
> 
> The cynicism about politicians aside, this is not the sort of 
> relationship that can be easily lubricated with football tickets.
> 
> The town and the University have been at odds for years because both 
> feel that they would be better off if the other didn't exist.
> 
> The city feels that the University uses more than its fair share of 
> services since it pays no real estate taxes.  Also, unlike many other 
> private universities, it makes no voluntary payments for additional 
> real estate that it may purchase and remove from the local tax rolls.
> 
> The University feels that between students, teachers, and staff; it 
> contributes way more to the local economy than it uses in services.
> 
> As a result, the city takes advantage of every opportunity it can to 
> claw back revenue that it feels it is owed.  The University on the 
> other hand has its own set of trench war tactics including continuing 
> to expand its real estate holdings in the community.
> 
> Jeff
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] 
> On Behalf Of johnadeg@comcast.net
> Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 2:46 PM
> To: Jonathan Hodges; Michael Vance
> Cc: nwu-sports@tssi.com
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Attendance
> 
> I doubt that Evanston politicians are any different from those in 
> Washington or at the state and local levels.  Revisit the limitations 
> on night games and give them some season tickets and parking slots.
>   No connection between the two events of course.
> John DeGroat
>  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: "Jonathan Hodges" <jonathanwhodges@gmail.com>
> > I believe it is based on the start time of the game: e.g. anything 
> > after 6PM would be a night game (2:30 starts, although requiring 
> > temporary lights, are not considered night games).  Of course I 
> > can't find any direct reference to the rule that allows only one 
> > night game per year, although it may just be an "unofficial" 
> > agreement between the
> school and the city.
> > 
> > Also, night games are typically announced before the season.
> > 
> > Jonathan
> > 
> > On Nov 18, 2007 1:57 PM, Michael Vance < michael.vance@att.net> wrote:
> > 
> > > What qualifies as a "night game" for the Evanston ordinance? Is it 
> > > defined by kickoff beyond a certain time, regardless of the time 
> > > of year and amount of available natural light or is it based on 
> > > whether we need to put up the temporary artificial lights?
> > >
> > > -Michael
> > >
> > > Mark Ament wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Our game was allowed because it was on the ESPN family of 
> > > > networks, of which ABC is only a small player these days. There 
> > > > are certain weeks in which BTN has second choice, I believe it's 
> > > > twice a year, but it won't be on the last week of the year. It 
> > > > may have been last week as the tOSU-Wisky game was forced on the BTN.
> > > >
> > > > The BTN games I believe are exempt from the no conflict rule and 
> > > > can be opposite both ESPN and ABC games so shouldn't interfere 
> > > > with time changes, should NU decide to adopt a different start 
> > > > time for some games next year. Keep in mind however, that NU is 
> > > > bound by the Evanston ordinance that permits only one night game 
> > > > per season and has shown no inclination to ask for that to be
changed.
> > > >
> > > > Mark
> > > >
> > > > SportsBiz - The Business of Sports Illuminated 
> > > > <http://thesportsbizblog.blogspot.com/>
> > > >
> > > > When it comes to sports, you know it's all about
> > > >
> > > > the money.
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com 
> > > > [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com ] On Behalf Of Michael Vance
> > > > Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 12:51 AM
> > > > To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > > > Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Attendance
> > > >
> > > > Are the rules regarding the scheduling of games opposite ABC 
> > > > published
> > > >
> > > > somewhere? Because today there were two Big Ten games at 12:00 
> > > > EST
> > > >
> > > > (Mich-OSU on ABC and NU-Ill on EPSN) and four at 3:30 (MSU-PSU 
> > > > on
> > > >
> > > > ABC/ESPN regional coverage, and the rest on BTN. Was our game 
> > > > allowed
> > > >
> > > > opposite Mich-OSU because it was on another ABC network?
> > > >
> > > > Also, didn't I read something about BTN getting second pick some
weeks?
> > > >
> > > > I agree that more late starts would help attendance a lot for NU 
> > > > and
> > > >
> > > > other Central time teams.
> > > >
> > > > -Michael
> > > >
> > > > Jonathan Hodges wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Some good ideas - obviously some new and fresh ideas are 
> > > > > needed to
> > > > address
> > > >
> > > > > this issue, because outside of winning a lot of games year in 
> > > > > and
> > > > year out,
> > > >
> > > > > the old stuff isn't working. I would like to address some the 
> > > > > things
> > > that
> > > >
> > > > > you brought up, though:
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > - Starting times: it's all in the hands of the networks, and 
> > > > > the
> > > > agreement
> > > >
> > > > > with ESPN says that no BTN games can be opposite the "marquee" 
> > > > > ABC
> > > > matchup
> > > >
> > > > > of the day (typically the 2:30 slot, but in the case of the
> > > OSU/Michigan
> > > >
> > > > > game it's noon). ESPN/ABC gets their pick(s) first, and the 
> > > > > BTN has to
> > > >
> > > > > schedule their games around those games, giving the Big Ten 
> > > > > and
> > > > specifically
> > > >
> > > > > Northwestern little control in regards to time of games.
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > - Northern Illinois: NIU is now insisting on home-and-home 
> > > > > series
> > > > games (NU
> > > >
> > > > > has never played NIU away from home), which I don't think NU 
> > > > > is
> > > > willing to
> > > >
> > > > > do. Maybe if it was 2 for one or better, NU may go for it, but 
> > > > > Murphy
> > > >
> > > > > insists on having 7 home games (something I don't disagree 
> > > > > with) and
> > > >
> > > > > home-and-home series against MAC level competition won't let 
> > > > > NU get
> > > > there.
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > - "Home" game away from Ryan Field: a bad idea and won't do 
> > > > > anything
> > > for
> > > >
> > > > > numbers outside of on paper, especially since renting a 
> > > > > facility and
> > > > dealing
> > > >
> > > > > with travel, etc. won't really make NU any money. And I 
> > > > > completely
> > > > disagree
> > > >
> > > > > with the idea of selling out by moving a home game closer to 
> > > > > an
> > > > opponent as
> > > >
> > > > > an attempt to get more fans - in that case don't even try to 
> > > > > get home
> > > > games.
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > - Day of Game discounts: GREAT idea. This is a college 
> > > > > (amateur
> > > > > level)
> > > >
> > > > > sport. A $50 tag drives away almost every casual fan family 
> > > > > who can't
> > > >
> > > > > afford that steep price - oh, and once they get to the game 
> > > > > there's
> > > > no money
> > > >
> > > > > left for the pricey concessions. Especially for nonconference 
> > > > > games,
> > > NU
> > > >
> > > > > needs to play with the prices (bring them down A LOT) to 
> > > > > attract
> > > > people to
> > > >
> > > > > the game. The fact is that it can't hurt, NU saw TWO games 
> > > > > this year
> > > > under
> > > >
> > > > > 20,000 in attendance with another THREE just over 20,000.
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > Anyways, not trying to shoot down any idea, the fact is NU 
> > > > > needs a new
> > >
> > > >
> > > > > well-thought-out strategy regarding attendance and filling the
seats.
> > > I
> > > >
> > > > > would hope that this discussion is starting in the athletic 
> > > > > department
> > > >
> > > > > shortly, and IMHO it would be advisable to include NU fans in 
> > > > > the
> > > > discussion
> > > >
> > > > > (maybe a town hall type format or an internet exchange).
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > Jonathan
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > On Nov 16, 2007 8:49 PM, < WildElk2@aol.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > >> Master of the Obvious Dept.: The 12 game schedule has made it 
> > > > >> more
> > > >
> > > > >> difficult
> > > >
> > > > >> to get decent crowds, although Mark Murphy is on record that 
> > > > >> he will
> > > > take
> > > >
> > > > >> a
> > > >
> > > > >> win at home in front of 15,000, as he feels that more wins 
> > > > >> will
> > > >
> > > > >> eventually
> > > >
> > > > >> equal more people.
> > > >
> > > > >> With the BTN, there may be more flexibility of starting times. 
> > > > >> Maybe
> > > >
> > > > >> we
> > > >
> > > > >> can ask the BTN for more 2:30 PM games (as well as an 
> > > > >> occasional
> > > night
> > > >
> > > > >> game)? 11:00 AM kick-offs have to keep at least a few people away.
> > > The
> > > >
> > > > >> Duke
> > > >
> > > > >> game is perfect example, as it produced 6,7,000 more than the
> > > >
> > > > >> Northeastern/Nevada games.
> > > >
> > > > >> Get a series with Northern Ill.. A five year series with 3 
> > > > >> games in
> > > >
> > > > >> Evanston. This would help both programs , who struggle with 
> > > > >> early
> > > season
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >> attendance issues.
> > > >
> > > > >> Schedule a "home" game outside of Dyche Stadium. This is not 
> > > > >> a
> > > paycheck
> > > >
> > > > >> game like the one we disgustingly played vs. Ohio St. at 
> > > > >> Cleveland
> > > >
> > > > >> Municipal
> > > >
> > > > >> Stadium in the early Nineties. There are plenty of small 
> > > > >> stadiums
> > > >
> > > > >> across the
> > > >
> > > > >> country that hold 20,000-25,000. An example would be Hershey 
> > > > >> Park
> > > >
> > > > >> Stadium
> > > >
> > > > >> in Hershey, Pa., which holds 20,000. In 2009 we play Towson; 
> > > > >> a
> > > perfect
> > > >
> > > > >> game
> > > >
> > > > >> to make it easy for east coast alums and fans. Notre Dame is 
> > > > >> playing
> > > >
> > > > >> "home"
> > > >
> > > > >> games in San Antonio and Jacksonville in the near future.
> > > >
> > > > >> On the day of the game, if we have a 20,000-25,000 ish crowd, 
> > > > >> sell
> > > the
> > > >
> > > > >> end zone and goal-line seats for $5, and advertise the hell 
> > > > >> out of it
> > > >
> > > > >> via
> > > >
> > > > >> newspapers, radio, TV. Just get people here; they'll buy hot 
> > > > >> dogs,
> > > >
> > > > >> programs,
> > > >
> > > > >> and once in a while, they'll get a junkie hooked like me, who 
> > > > >> paid
> > > > $4 for
> > > >
> > > > >> end
> > > >
> > > > >> zone seats circa. 1980. In the same vein, bring back Band Day 
> > > > >> and
> > > sell
> > > >
> > > > >> all
> > > >
> > > > >> those crappy seats for a $1 for each band member.
> > > >
> > > > >> Crowds(?) of 16,000, 17,000, and 20,000 for a conference game 
> > > > >> is
> > > >
> > > > >> unacceptable. Time to take steps to change.
> > > >
> > > > >> As far as the Illinois game, I anticipate a hard-hitting 
> > > > >> nail-biter,
> > > >
> > > > >> but
> > > >
> > > > >> I'm picking Illinois to win, as after 4 straight wins, it's
> > > Illinois's
> > > >
> > > > >> turn.
> > > >
> > > > >> They will not take us lightly, and after 4 straight losses 
> > > > >> and so
> > > > much on
> > > >
> > > > >> the line, I see no let-down. We need to stop the run, period. 
> > > > >> With
> > > that
> > > >
> > > > >> said,
> > > >
> > > > >> I see a 31-27 Illinois win. If we can stop the run , we'll 
> > > > >> give
> > > >
> > > > >> ourselves
> > > >
> > > > >> a chance to win.
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >> GO CATS!!! Eric
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >> ************************************** See what's new at
> > > >
> > > > >> http://www.aol.com
> > > >
> > > > >> _______________________________________________
> > > >
> > > > >> nwu-sports site list
> > > >
> > > > >> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > > >
> > > > >> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > >
> > > > nwu-sports site list
> > > >
> > > > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > > >
> > > > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> > > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > nwu-sports site list
> > > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> > >
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > --
> > Jonathan W. Hodges
> > 1237 Emerson St Apt 2
> > Evanston, IL  60201-3577
> > (847) 736-2449
> > jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
> > _______________________________________________
> > nwu-sports site list
> > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports


From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Mon Nov 19 14:58:27 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Mon Nov 19 14:48:33 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
In-Reply-To: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0A5A@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>
References: <111920071945.19987.4741E7EE00051F6500004E132216566276090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
	<4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0A5A@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711191258x4f2dae1cy9e3a9b950d115750@mail.gmail.com>

Regarding voluntary payments for real estate purchases (which in turn
removes them from the local property tax rolls), Northwestern did recently
purchase the 1800 Sherman building and made $2 million in voluntary payments
to the city and school districts.  Of course this does not account for
future taxes and potential increases in property value that the city would
have reaped increased revenue from, but at least it's something.  Here's the
reference from the Daily:

http://media.www.dailynorthwestern.com/media/storage/paper853/news/2004/11/22/City/1800-Clubs.New.Landlord.Nu-1916552.shtml

Also, the university did pay about $700,000 to settle the historic district
lawsuit in order to have some properties removed from the historic district
(including such buildings as the Foster-Walker Complex: built in the mid
70's, Blomquist Gym: built in the late 70s, and the Hillel Center: built in
the late 90's).

In any case there's no doubt that the city and the university have had a
rough relationship and the night game restriction is most likely one of the
outcomes from that rough standing.  Anyways, if NU does have the opportunity
to host more than one night game in a year (decided by TV more than anyone
else) I would hope that the university and city could come to an
understanding of some sort, as the city and university hopefully both
realize that they need each other to continue surviving in their current
states.

Jonathan

On Nov 19, 2007 2:16 PM, Jeff Beamsley <jeff.beamsley@hilgraeve.com> wrote:

>
> How long did you live in Evanston?
>
> The cynicism about politicians aside, this is not the sort of relationship
> that can be easily lubricated with football tickets.
>
> The town and the University have been at odds for years because both feel
> that they would be better off if the other didn't exist.
>
> The city feels that the University uses more than its fair share of
> services
> since it pays no real estate taxes.  Also, unlike many other private
> universities, it makes no voluntary payments for additional real estate
> that
> it may purchase and remove from the local tax rolls.
>
> The University feels that between students, teachers, and staff; it
> contributes way more to the local economy than it uses in services.
>
> As a result, the city takes advantage of every opportunity it can to claw
> back revenue that it feels it is owed.  The University on the other hand
> has
> its own set of trench war tactics including continuing to expand its real
> estate holdings in the community.
>
> Jeff
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
> Behalf Of johnadeg@comcast.net
> Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 2:46 PM
> To: Jonathan Hodges; Michael Vance
> Cc: nwu-sports@tssi.com
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Attendance
>
> I doubt that Evanston politicians are any different from those in
> Washington
> or at the state and local levels.  Revisit the limitations on night games
> and
> give them some season tickets and parking slots.
>  No connection between the two events of course.
> John DeGroat
>  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: "Jonathan Hodges" <jonathanwhodges@gmail.com>
> > I believe it is based on the start time of the game: e.g. anything
> > after 6PM would be a night game (2:30 starts, although requiring
> > temporary lights, are not considered night games).  Of course I can't
> > find any direct reference to the rule that allows only one night game
> > per year, although it may just be an "unofficial" agreement between the
> school and the city.
> >
> > Also, night games are typically announced before the season.
> >
> > Jonathan
> >
> > On Nov 18, 2007 1:57 PM, Michael Vance < michael.vance@att.net> wrote:
> >
> > > What qualifies as a "night game" for the Evanston ordinance? Is it
> > > defined by kickoff beyond a certain time, regardless of the time of
> > > year and amount of available natural light or is it based on whether
> > > we need to put up the temporary artificial lights?
> > >
> > > -Michael
> > >
> > > Mark Ament wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Our game was allowed because it was on the ESPN family of
> > > > networks, of which ABC is only a small player these days. There
> > > > are certain weeks in which BTN has second choice, I believe it's
> > > > twice a year, but it won't be on the last week of the year. It may
> > > > have been last week as the tOSU-Wisky game was forced on the BTN.
> > > >
> > > > The BTN games I believe are exempt from the no conflict rule and
> > > > can be opposite both ESPN and ABC games so shouldn't interfere
> > > > with time changes, should NU decide to adopt a different start
> > > > time for some games next year. Keep in mind however, that NU is
> > > > bound by the Evanston ordinance that permits only one night game
> > > > per season and has shown no inclination to ask for that to be
> changed.
> > > >
> > > > Mark
> > > >
> > > > SportsBiz - The Business of Sports Illuminated
> > > > <http://thesportsbizblog.blogspot.com/>
> > > >
> > > > When it comes to sports, you know it's all about
> > > >
> > > > the money.
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com
> > > > [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com ] On Behalf Of Michael Vance
> > > > Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 12:51 AM
> > > > To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > > > Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Attendance
> > > >
> > > > Are the rules regarding the scheduling of games opposite ABC
> > > > published
> > > >
> > > > somewhere? Because today there were two Big Ten games at 12:00 EST
> > > >
> > > > (Mich-OSU on ABC and NU-Ill on EPSN) and four at 3:30 (MSU-PSU on
> > > >
> > > > ABC/ESPN regional coverage, and the rest on BTN. Was our game
> > > > allowed
> > > >
> > > > opposite Mich-OSU because it was on another ABC network?
> > > >
> > > > Also, didn't I read something about BTN getting second pick some
> weeks?
> > > >
> > > > I agree that more late starts would help attendance a lot for NU
> > > > and
> > > >
> > > > other Central time teams.
> > > >
> > > > -Michael
> > > >
> > > > Jonathan Hodges wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Some good ideas - obviously some new and fresh ideas are needed
> > > > > to
> > > > address
> > > >
> > > > > this issue, because outside of winning a lot of games year in
> > > > > and
> > > > year out,
> > > >
> > > > > the old stuff isn't working. I would like to address some the
> > > > > things
> > > that
> > > >
> > > > > you brought up, though:
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > - Starting times: it's all in the hands of the networks, and the
> > > > agreement
> > > >
> > > > > with ESPN says that no BTN games can be opposite the "marquee"
> > > > > ABC
> > > > matchup
> > > >
> > > > > of the day (typically the 2:30 slot, but in the case of the
> > > OSU/Michigan
> > > >
> > > > > game it's noon). ESPN/ABC gets their pick(s) first, and the BTN
> > > > > has to
> > > >
> > > > > schedule their games around those games, giving the Big Ten and
> > > > specifically
> > > >
> > > > > Northwestern little control in regards to time of games.
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > - Northern Illinois: NIU is now insisting on home-and-home
> > > > > series
> > > > games (NU
> > > >
> > > > > has never played NIU away from home), which I don't think NU is
> > > > willing to
> > > >
> > > > > do. Maybe if it was 2 for one or better, NU may go for it, but
> > > > > Murphy
> > > >
> > > > > insists on having 7 home games (something I don't disagree with)
> > > > > and
> > > >
> > > > > home-and-home series against MAC level competition won't let NU
> > > > > get
> > > > there.
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > - "Home" game away from Ryan Field: a bad idea and won't do
> > > > > anything
> > > for
> > > >
> > > > > numbers outside of on paper, especially since renting a facility
> > > > > and
> > > > dealing
> > > >
> > > > > with travel, etc. won't really make NU any money. And I
> > > > > completely
> > > > disagree
> > > >
> > > > > with the idea of selling out by moving a home game closer to an
> > > > opponent as
> > > >
> > > > > an attempt to get more fans - in that case don't even try to get
> > > > > home
> > > > games.
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > - Day of Game discounts: GREAT idea. This is a college (amateur
> > > > > level)
> > > >
> > > > > sport. A $50 tag drives away almost every casual fan family who
> > > > > can't
> > > >
> > > > > afford that steep price - oh, and once they get to the game
> > > > > there's
> > > > no money
> > > >
> > > > > left for the pricey concessions. Especially for nonconference
> > > > > games,
> > > NU
> > > >
> > > > > needs to play with the prices (bring them down A LOT) to attract
> > > > people to
> > > >
> > > > > the game. The fact is that it can't hurt, NU saw TWO games this
> > > > > year
> > > > under
> > > >
> > > > > 20,000 in attendance with another THREE just over 20,000.
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > Anyways, not trying to shoot down any idea, the fact is NU needs
> > > > > a new
> > >
> > > >
> > > > > well-thought-out strategy regarding attendance and filling the
> seats.
> > > I
> > > >
> > > > > would hope that this discussion is starting in the athletic
> > > > > department
> > > >
> > > > > shortly, and IMHO it would be advisable to include NU fans in
> > > > > the
> > > > discussion
> > > >
> > > > > (maybe a town hall type format or an internet exchange).
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > Jonathan
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > > On Nov 16, 2007 8:49 PM, < WildElk2@aol.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > >> Master of the Obvious Dept.: The 12 game schedule has made it
> > > > >> more
> > > >
> > > > >> difficult
> > > >
> > > > >> to get decent crowds, although Mark Murphy is on record that he
> > > > >> will
> > > > take
> > > >
> > > > >> a
> > > >
> > > > >> win at home in front of 15,000, as he feels that more wins will
> > > >
> > > > >> eventually
> > > >
> > > > >> equal more people.
> > > >
> > > > >> With the BTN, there may be more flexibility of starting times.
> > > > >> Maybe
> > > >
> > > > >> we
> > > >
> > > > >> can ask the BTN for more 2:30 PM games (as well as an
> > > > >> occasional
> > > night
> > > >
> > > > >> game)? 11:00 AM kick-offs have to keep at least a few people
> away.
> > > The
> > > >
> > > > >> Duke
> > > >
> > > > >> game is perfect example, as it produced 6,7,000 more than the
> > > >
> > > > >> Northeastern/Nevada games.
> > > >
> > > > >> Get a series with Northern Ill.. A five year series with 3
> > > > >> games in
> > > >
> > > > >> Evanston. This would help both programs , who struggle with
> > > > >> early
> > > season
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >> attendance issues.
> > > >
> > > > >> Schedule a "home" game outside of Dyche Stadium. This is not a
> > > paycheck
> > > >
> > > > >> game like the one we disgustingly played vs. Ohio St. at
> > > > >> Cleveland
> > > >
> > > > >> Municipal
> > > >
> > > > >> Stadium in the early Nineties. There are plenty of small
> > > > >> stadiums
> > > >
> > > > >> across the
> > > >
> > > > >> country that hold 20,000-25,000. An example would be Hershey
> > > > >> Park
> > > >
> > > > >> Stadium
> > > >
> > > > >> in Hershey, Pa., which holds 20,000. In 2009 we play Towson; a
> > > perfect
> > > >
> > > > >> game
> > > >
> > > > >> to make it easy for east coast alums and fans. Notre Dame is
> > > > >> playing
> > > >
> > > > >> "home"
> > > >
> > > > >> games in San Antonio and Jacksonville in the near future.
> > > >
> > > > >> On the day of the game, if we have a 20,000-25,000 ish crowd,
> > > > >> sell
> > > the
> > > >
> > > > >> end zone and goal-line seats for $5, and advertise the hell out
> > > > >> of it
> > > >
> > > > >> via
> > > >
> > > > >> newspapers, radio, TV. Just get people here; they'll buy hot
> > > > >> dogs,
> > > >
> > > > >> programs,
> > > >
> > > > >> and once in a while, they'll get a junkie hooked like me, who
> > > > >> paid
> > > > $4 for
> > > >
> > > > >> end
> > > >
> > > > >> zone seats circa. 1980. In the same vein, bring back Band Day
> > > > >> and
> > > sell
> > > >
> > > > >> all
> > > >
> > > > >> those crappy seats for a $1 for each band member.
> > > >
> > > > >> Crowds(?) of 16,000, 17,000, and 20,000 for a conference game
> > > > >> is
> > > >
> > > > >> unacceptable. Time to take steps to change.
> > > >
> > > > >> As far as the Illinois game, I anticipate a hard-hitting
> > > > >> nail-biter,
> > > >
> > > > >> but
> > > >
> > > > >> I'm picking Illinois to win, as after 4 straight wins, it's
> > > Illinois's
> > > >
> > > > >> turn.
> > > >
> > > > >> They will not take us lightly, and after 4 straight losses and
> > > > >> so
> > > > much on
> > > >
> > > > >> the line, I see no let-down. We need to stop the run, period.
> > > > >> With
> > > that
> > > >
> > > > >> said,
> > > >
> > > > >> I see a 31-27 Illinois win. If we can stop the run , we'll give
> > > >
> > > > >> ourselves
> > > >
> > > > >> a chance to win.
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >> GO CATS!!! Eric
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >> ************************************** See what's new at
> > > >
> > > > >> http://www.aol.com
> > > >
> > > > >> _______________________________________________
> > > >
> > > > >> nwu-sports site list
> > > >
> > > > >> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > > >
> > > > >> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > >
> > > > nwu-sports site list
> > > >
> > > > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > > >
> > > > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> > > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > nwu-sports site list
> > > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Jonathan W. Hodges
> > 1237 Emerson St Apt 2
> > Evanston, IL  60201-3577
> > (847) 736-2449
> > jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
> > _______________________________________________
> > nwu-sports site list
> > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From nolan at romaine.tssi.com  Mon Nov 19 14:51:06 2007
From: nolan at romaine.tssi.com (Mike Nolan)
Date: Mon Nov 19 14:51:09 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
Message-ID: <200711192051.lAJKp658019162@romaine.tssi.com>

> If the University were willing to change it's position (something is likely
> to freeze over first) and pay the millions of dollars that the city feels it
> is owed in property taxes, I'm sure that the city would allow the University
> to hold as many night games as it wanted.

I know someone who lives about 3 blocks from the stadium, according to him
additional night games will be over the bruised and battered bodies of 
the neighborhood association.  (He'd be in favor of it, but he's someone
whom I met at NU, most of the people living near the stadium have no ties 
to the school.)

I still remember the 'fire truck donation' indident, which did little
to appease the sour relationship between NU and the city of Evanston.
--
Mike Nolan

From MHRJGScott at aol.com  Mon Nov 19 15:00:37 2007
From: MHRJGScott at aol.com (MHRJGScott@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 19 14:54:22 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
Message-ID: <c16.2796ea26.34735375@aol.com>

I was raised in Evanston, just off Central street and went to NU twice  and 
will attest that NU is not a very good citizen, and does not contribute its  
fair share to the city. But then again neither do the cemeteries. At least in  
Chicago those former people get to vote.  



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From rstetson at capps-assoc.com  Mon Nov 19 15:12:05 2007
From: rstetson at capps-assoc.com (Roy Lamberton)
Date: Mon Nov 19 15:01:30 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
In-Reply-To: <111920072028.23147.4741F1D1000534DE00005A6B2215555884090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
References: <111920072028.23147.4741F1D1000534DE00005A6B2215555884090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <002401c82af0$d6624060$8326c120$@com>

My casual observation on attendance:

1. The 11 AM time makes it virtually impossible to fly into Chicago from the
east coast for a game without arriving Friday night and staying until Sunday
morning. A return to the 1 PM start would make it a LOT easier for out of town
people AND those on the south side of Chicago to get to games.

2. Bring back the Greek Tailgates - when we played Navy, several NU fraternities
had tailgates in the parking lot for their alums who also were former NROTC
guys. My fraternity apparently has wangled a way to hold a tailgate in the East
lot and does so every home game. I'm sure they are not encouraged to do that,
but they do.

3. Provide a way for NU people to sell their tickets [with parking] to other NU
people. The Naval Academy has a ticket share system that is run through their
official web site. I was able to get tickets a couple of weeks ago, to see the
sold out Navy - Delaware game. My seats were 10 rows behind the Navy bench.

4. I like the idea of putting the Band in the endzone, or on the other side with
the students - we need to take back our field. After all those years of poor
football, we need to figure out how to get a purple presence on both sides of
the field at the 50.

We also have to remember that few mid level Div I college teams in major markets
that have NFL teams draw well [with the exception of Los Angeles.] Maryland
still doesn't sell out, Philly and New York don't have Div I teams, Boston
College is up and down. SMU [Dallas] never could get enough people in the stands
to fill Cowboy Stadium, Georgia Tech has issues in Atlanta, Miami U still has
trouble drawing in Miami.

Look at the major markets with NFL and college football will always be 3rd or
4th to the local pro teams. Now, if the college is not in the major city,
they'll do fine if they win [Michigan and MSU for example] The fact still
remains that the major college teams that sell out all the time, all play in
cities without a true pro football presence.

I'm sure someone can do a study on why - maybe its that the Columbus paper only
has football news about the Bucks as a lead with the Browns and Bengals as
secondary . 

rsl



++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate
& sometime Unix Guru....
Computer Applications & Support Associates 
==========  Go Cats -? Beat 'em All  ============
"You have a Republic Madam --
???? If you can keep it" - Benjamin Franklin
============================================



From CHerron604 at aol.com  Mon Nov 19 15:46:05 2007
From: CHerron604 at aol.com (CHerron604@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 19 15:37:05 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
Message-ID: <cc0.220fd22b.34735e1d@aol.com>

I get the sense, however, that it's the Evanston residents that despise  game 
days, and really really despise night games.  I can't really blame  them, 
they paid huge bucks (and huge taxes) for quiet leafy streets.  I  think that we 
are lucky (?) to get one night game a season, and the way our  state is 
currently 'functioning' (our Governor, Mayor and legislative leaders  seem to 
despise one another, and can barely meet and talk without one or all of  them 
stomping out of the room in a huff), any new lakefill construction would  seem to be 
an impossibility - environmentally and politically.
 
We are going to have to make do with our current stadium, and perhaps 1  
night game a season
 
Chuck Herron   Tech '85



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From CHerron604 at aol.com  Mon Nov 19 16:05:33 2007
From: CHerron604 at aol.com (CHerron604@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 19 15:56:49 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
Message-ID: <cd7.1e47319f.347362ad@aol.com>

 
In a message dated 11/19/2007 3:31:51 PM Central Standard Time,  
rstetson@capps-assoc.com writes:

Philly  and New York don't have Div I teams


What about Temple ?  Oops, maybe Roy is right...
 
Everyone in northern Illinois receives their Bear fandom (as well as their  
toddler-sized Urlacher jerseys) at birth, we can never hope to match that level 
 of passion.
 
I will echo some earlier comments about horrible concessions, easily the  
11th best in the league.
 
Traffic is an endless nightmare - McCormick Blvd has been torn up for a  long 
time, the Edens Expressway is (and will be) torn up for a long time, the  
Tri-State Tollway has been torn up for a long time (ironically, to put in  
high-speed oper road toll stations).  
 
As someone who has been to a lot of our games at Michigan, I marvel at how  
easily they can park and seat 106,000 people, and how hard it is for us to park 
 and seat 42,000.  And leaving the Michigan parking lots is almost always a  
good experience (including the many streets converted to one-way traffic  
only).
 
Another factor might be our visibility - I like hearing what PF has to say,  
but I generally only hear him for a few minutes before the game with Dave 
Eanet,  and a few minutes after the game with Ted Albrecht.  Ron Zook, on the 
other  hand, seems to be everywhere on Chicago sports talk radio, once or twice a  
week.  And he was talking to those stations during the lean years, as well  
as now.  He is definitely (as his recruiting would indicate) a great  salesman 
for Illinois.
 
Chuck Herron   Tech '85 



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com  Mon Nov 19 16:19:36 2007
From: jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com (Jeff Beamsley)
Date: Mon Nov 19 16:10:10 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
In-Reply-To: <200711192051.lAJKp658019162@romaine.tssi.com>
References: <200711192051.lAJKp658019162@romaine.tssi.com>
Message-ID: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0A8B@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>

I think that it is all part of the same attitude of confrontation rather than
cooperation.

Ann Arbor is a very affluent community too, yet they not only tolerate but
welcome the 100K that show up for every home game.  It makes the city pretty
much grind to a halt a couple of hours before the game and a couple of hours
after the game, but most realize how much money those folks bring into the
local economy and as a result subsidize their cost of living.

If NU were the primary tax payer for Evanston and as a result the city had
New Trier quality schools while the homeowners were paying Niles-type
property taxes, I suspect that they would feel differently about things like
night games too.

Of course the downside of something like that is that parents who were
sending their kids to NU would end up paying even more ridiculous tuitions
than they do now.

Jeff
 

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of Mike Nolan
Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 3:51 PM
To: nwu-sports@romaine.tssi.com
Subject: RE: [NU Sports] Attendance

> If the University were willing to change it's position (something is 
> likely to freeze over first) and pay the millions of dollars that the 
> city feels it is owed in property taxes, I'm sure that the city would 
> allow the University to hold as many night games as it wanted.

I know someone who lives about 3 blocks from the stadium, according to him
additional night games will be over the bruised and battered bodies of the
neighborhood association.  (He'd be in favor of it, but he's someone whom I
met at NU, most of the people living near the stadium have no ties to the
school.)

I still remember the 'fire truck donation' indident, which did little to
appease the sour relationship between NU and the city of Evanston.
--
Mike Nolan

_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From lvaccher at comcast.net  Mon Nov 19 16:53:24 2007
From: lvaccher at comcast.net (Louie Vaccher)
Date: Mon Nov 19 16:44:25 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
References: <111920072028.23147.4741F1D1000534DE00005A6B2215555884090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
	<002401c82af0$d6624060$8326c120$@com>
Message-ID: <002501c82aff$2ef3b610$c379104c@Louie>

> We also have to remember that few mid level Div I college teams in major 
> markets
> that have NFL teams draw well [with the exception of Los Angeles.] 
> Maryland
> still doesn't sell out, Philly and New York don't have Div I teams, Boston
> College is up and down. SMU [Dallas] never could get enough people in the 
> stands
> to fill Cowboy Stadium, Georgia Tech has issues in Atlanta, Miami U still 
> has
> trouble drawing in Miami.

I think those are decent comparisons with the exception of SMU, which 
doesn't play in a major conference and hasn't been the same since the death 
penalty was imposed on them. The sad thing is that NU lags pretty far behind 
the rest of them in attendance. Here are the 2007 average attendance numbers 
for the schools listed:

Maryland: 51,263
BC: 41,571
Ga Tech: 50,296
Miami: 43,589
NU: 24,589

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Roy Lamberton" <rstetson@capps-assoc.com>
To: <johnadeg@comcast.net>; "'Jeff Beamsley'" <jeff.beamsley@hilgraeve.com>; 
<nwu-sports@tssi.com>
Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 3:12 PM
Subject: RE: [NU Sports] Attendance


> My casual observation on attendance:
>
> 1. The 11 AM time makes it virtually impossible to fly into Chicago from 
> the
> east coast for a game without arriving Friday night and staying until 
> Sunday
> morning. A return to the 1 PM start would make it a LOT easier for out of 
> town
> people AND those on the south side of Chicago to get to games.
>
> 2. Bring back the Greek Tailgates - when we played Navy, several NU 
> fraternities
> had tailgates in the parking lot for their alums who also were former 
> NROTC
> guys. My fraternity apparently has wangled a way to hold a tailgate in the 
> East
> lot and does so every home game. I'm sure they are not encouraged to do 
> that,
> but they do.
>
> 3. Provide a way for NU people to sell their tickets [with parking] to 
> other NU
> people. The Naval Academy has a ticket share system that is run through 
> their
> official web site. I was able to get tickets a couple of weeks ago, to see 
> the
> sold out Navy - Delaware game. My seats were 10 rows behind the Navy 
> bench.
>
> 4. I like the idea of putting the Band in the endzone, or on the other 
> side with
> the students - we need to take back our field. After all those years of 
> poor
> football, we need to figure out how to get a purple presence on both sides 
> of
> the field at the 50.
>
> We also have to remember that few mid level Div I college teams in major 
> markets
> that have NFL teams draw well [with the exception of Los Angeles.] 
> Maryland
> still doesn't sell out, Philly and New York don't have Div I teams, Boston
> College is up and down. SMU [Dallas] never could get enough people in the 
> stands
> to fill Cowboy Stadium, Georgia Tech has issues in Atlanta, Miami U still 
> has
> trouble drawing in Miami.
>
> Look at the major markets with NFL and college football will always be 3rd 
> or
> 4th to the local pro teams. Now, if the college is not in the major city,
> they'll do fine if they win [Michigan and MSU for example] The fact still
> remains that the major college teams that sell out all the time, all play 
> in
> cities without a true pro football presence.
>
> I'm sure someone can do a study on why - maybe its that the Columbus paper 
> only
> has football news about the Bucks as a lead with the Browns and Bengals as
> secondary .
>
> rsl
>
>
>
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate
> & sometime Unix Guru....
> Computer Applications & Support Associates
> ==========  Go Cats - Beat 'em All  ============
> "You have a Republic Madam --
> If you can keep it" - Benjamin Franklin
> ============================================
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports 

From tbng at comcast.net  Mon Nov 19 17:13:38 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Mon Nov 19 17:03:43 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
References: <111920072028.23147.4741F1D1000534DE00005A6B2215555884090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net><002401c82af0$d6624060$8326c120$@com>
	<002501c82aff$2ef3b610$c379104c@Louie>
Message-ID: <001901c82b01$d2125e80$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>

Every one of these complaints Evanson has about football games would be 
lessened if there were a new stadium on campus.  Evanston also needs to 
smarten up (as they say in Pennsylvania Dutch territory) and realize that 
those games make money for the community regardless of where the stadium 
might be located.  The more people, the more money for Evanston.  Build it, 
and they will come. 

From MHRJGScott at aol.com  Mon Nov 19 17:26:43 2007
From: MHRJGScott at aol.com (MHRJGScott@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 19 17:20:22 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
Message-ID: <bf8.1ed19a61.347375b3@aol.com>

I agree with the new stadium, but put it on campus. UCF built a new  stadium, 
even as taxpayers voted to put $175 million into the citrus bowl, and  their 
attendance doubled.



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Mon Nov 19 19:49:10 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Mon Nov 19 19:40:05 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
In-Reply-To: <002501c82aff$2ef3b610$c379104c@Louie>
References: <111920072028.23147.4741F1D1000534DE00005A6B2215555884090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
	<002401c82af0$d6624060$8326c120$@com>
	<002501c82aff$2ef3b610$c379104c@Louie>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711191749l6bb34fb0nfc38b30af0e63ac0@mail.gmail.com>

Minnesota can be included on that list, and even this year with a new HC and
a 1-11 record to finish the year they averaged 51,791 in a dome that they're
moving out of in just a couple of years.

Regarding the new stadium, I don't see NU moving out of Ryan Field any time
soon unless someone is willing to pony up enough cash to:

1) Add to the lakefill.
2) Build a brand new stadium on that lakefill.
3) Pay off city and state officials to let that happen.

There are a few modifications that I think would make Ryan Field more
amenable to an attendance increase, but a new stadium/updated stadium won't
in itself bring the fans; here are the changes:

1) Reconstruct the south end zone "bowl" seating to be closer to the field
and also to match the architecture of the rest of the stadium - right now it
looks like an eyesore and the seats are way too far back from the field.
2) Install a seating area in the north end zone (on both sides of the locker
room entrance) for NUMB and put them there during the game, leaving the
current student seating area where it is (which would still be close by).
Alternatively, stands could be built on Randy Walker Terrace, but being at
field level would be better.
3) Build a 2-3 story parking structure in place of the current west parking
lot; with the top level (which will not be that high, especially if levels
are built underground) reserved for tailgaiting using the current
parking/points system, and the lower levels for additional non-tailgate
season ticket parking, which should open up room in some of the closer lots
(e.g. ENH) for day of game parking.
4) This is easy: move the Big Ten flags to the top of the stadium or the
south end zone so that people in the lower west stands on the north end can
see the video board.

Just a few thoughts, but again, modifications to the stadium won't in itself
bring more fans to the game.

Jonathan

On Nov 19, 2007 4:53 PM, Louie Vaccher <lvaccher@comcast.net> wrote:

> > We also have to remember that few mid level Div I college teams in major
> > markets
> > that have NFL teams draw well [with the exception of Los Angeles.]
> > Maryland
> > still doesn't sell out, Philly and New York don't have Div I teams,
> Boston
> > College is up and down. SMU [Dallas] never could get enough people in
> the
> > stands
> > to fill Cowboy Stadium, Georgia Tech has issues in Atlanta, Miami U
> still
> > has
> > trouble drawing in Miami.
>
> I think those are decent comparisons with the exception of SMU, which
> doesn't play in a major conference and hasn't been the same since the
> death
> penalty was imposed on them. The sad thing is that NU lags pretty far
> behind
> the rest of them in attendance. Here are the 2007 average attendance
> numbers
> for the schools listed:
>
> Maryland: 51,263
> BC: 41,571
> Ga Tech: 50,296
> Miami: 43,589
> NU: 24,589
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Roy Lamberton" <rstetson@capps-assoc.com>
> To: <johnadeg@comcast.net>; "'Jeff Beamsley'" <jeff.beamsley@hilgraeve.com
> >;
> <nwu-sports@tssi.com>
> Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 3:12 PM
> Subject: RE: [NU Sports] Attendance
>
>
> > My casual observation on attendance:
> >
> > 1. The 11 AM time makes it virtually impossible to fly into Chicago from
> > the
> > east coast for a game without arriving Friday night and staying until
> > Sunday
> > morning. A return to the 1 PM start would make it a LOT easier for out
> of
> > town
> > people AND those on the south side of Chicago to get to games.
> >
> > 2. Bring back the Greek Tailgates - when we played Navy, several NU
> > fraternities
> > had tailgates in the parking lot for their alums who also were former
> > NROTC
> > guys. My fraternity apparently has wangled a way to hold a tailgate in
> the
> > East
> > lot and does so every home game. I'm sure they are not encouraged to do
> > that,
> > but they do.
> >
> > 3. Provide a way for NU people to sell their tickets [with parking] to
> > other NU
> > people. The Naval Academy has a ticket share system that is run through
> > their
> > official web site. I was able to get tickets a couple of weeks ago, to
> see
> > the
> > sold out Navy - Delaware game. My seats were 10 rows behind the Navy
> > bench.
> >
> > 4. I like the idea of putting the Band in the endzone, or on the other
> > side with
> > the students - we need to take back our field. After all those years of
> > poor
> > football, we need to figure out how to get a purple presence on both
> sides
> > of
> > the field at the 50.
> >
> > We also have to remember that few mid level Div I college teams in major
> > markets
> > that have NFL teams draw well [with the exception of Los Angeles.]
> > Maryland
> > still doesn't sell out, Philly and New York don't have Div I teams,
> Boston
> > College is up and down. SMU [Dallas] never could get enough people in
> the
> > stands
> > to fill Cowboy Stadium, Georgia Tech has issues in Atlanta, Miami U
> still
> > has
> > trouble drawing in Miami.
> >
> > Look at the major markets with NFL and college football will always be
> 3rd
> > or
> > 4th to the local pro teams. Now, if the college is not in the major
> city,
> > they'll do fine if they win [Michigan and MSU for example] The fact
> still
> > remains that the major college teams that sell out all the time, all
> play
> > in
> > cities without a true pro football presence.
> >
> > I'm sure someone can do a study on why - maybe its that the Columbus
> paper
> > only
> > has football news about the Bucks as a lead with the Browns and Bengals
> as
> > secondary .
> >
> > rsl
> >
> >
> >
> > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> > Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate
> > & sometime Unix Guru....
> > Computer Applications & Support Associates
> > ==========  Go Cats - Beat 'em All  ============
> > "You have a Republic Madam --
> > If you can keep it" - Benjamin Franklin
> > ============================================
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > nwu-sports site list
> > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From johnadeg at comcast.net  Mon Nov 19 22:16:54 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Mon Nov 19 22:06:52 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
Message-ID: <112020070416.3883.47425FB6000062A500000F2B2212020784090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

Chuck is right.  Barnett had a talk show, Walker didn't want one, or at least was blocked from having one.  Fitzgerald would be terrific on one and should have his own talk show.  The Big Ten Network would probably pick it up too.

John DeGroat
s -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: CHerron604@aol.com
>  
> In a message dated 11/19/2007 3:31:51 PM Central Standard Time,  
> rstetson@capps-assoc.com writes:
> 
> Philly  and New York don't have Div I teams
> 
> 
> What about Temple ?  Oops, maybe Roy is right...
>  
> Everyone in northern Illinois receives their Bear fandom (as well as their  
> toddler-sized Urlacher jerseys) at birth, we can never hope to match that level 
>  of passion.
>  
> I will echo some earlier comments about horrible concessions, easily the  
> 11th best in the league.
>  
> Traffic is an endless nightmare - McCormick Blvd has been torn up for a  long 
> time, the Edens Expressway is (and will be) torn up for a long time, the  
> Tri-State Tollway has been torn up for a long time (ironically, to put in  
> high-speed oper road toll stations).  
>  
> As someone who has been to a lot of our games at Michigan, I marvel at how  
> easily they can park and seat 106,000 people, and how hard it is for us to park 
>  and seat 42,000.  And leaving the Michigan parking lots is almost always a  
> good experience (including the many streets converted to one-way traffic  
> only).
>  
> Another factor might be our visibility - I like hearing what PF has to say,  
> but I generally only hear him for a few minutes before the game with Dave 
> Eanet,  and a few minutes after the game with Ted Albrecht.  Ron Zook, on the 
> other  hand, seems to be everywhere on Chicago sports talk radio, once or twice 
> a  
> week.  And he was talking to those stations during the lean years, as well  
> as now.  He is definitely (as his recruiting would indicate) a great  salesman 
> for Illinois.
>  
> Chuck Herron   Tech '85 
> 
> 
> 
> ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com


From michael.vance at att.net  Mon Nov 19 22:26:07 2007
From: michael.vance at att.net (Michael Vance)
Date: Mon Nov 19 22:16:35 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
In-Reply-To: <002401c82af0$d6624060$8326c120$@com>
References: <111920072028.23147.4741F1D1000534DE00005A6B2215555884090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
	<002401c82af0$d6624060$8326c120$@com>
Message-ID: <474261DF.8070904@att.net>

Roy Lamberton wrote:
> My casual observation on attendance:
>
> 1. The 11 AM time makes it virtually impossible to fly into Chicago from the
> east coast for a game without arriving Friday night and staying until Sunday
> morning. A return to the 1 PM start would make it a LOT easier for out of town
> people AND those on the south side of Chicago to get to games.
>   

A friend of mine does it a couple of times a season and it's painful.  
He has to take a 7am flight out of LaGuardia to make it to tailgating, 
and if that's at all late, he only makes kickoff.

> 3. Provide a way for NU people to sell their tickets [with parking] to other NU
> people. The Naval Academy has a ticket share system that is run through their
> official web site. I was able to get tickets a couple of weeks ago, to see the
> sold out Navy - Delaware game. My seats were 10 rows behind the Navy bench.
>   

I have to admit, based on my own experience trying to sell some of my 
tickets the past two seasons, I simply wonder what the demand is, even 
among alumni and other die-hard fans.  For two seasons now, I've offered 
up my seats on the list.  Of the seven home games this year, I only sold 
*one* to a list member and that was somewhat last-minute.  These are row 
39, 50-yard line seats, with seat backs and right of first refusal on a 
parking pass!  The only thing that hurts is that they are on the 
"visitors" (East) side.  That's a misconception anyway, because when 
you're at midfield, everyone's a season ticket holder.

Point being, we have the most die-hard NU fans around right here on the 
list, and I've still had trouble selling my tickets. Granted, most list 
members who can make games regularly already have season tix of their 
own, and I do keep a few games for myself.  But my wife wanted me to 
stay home for the Iowa game this year to watch her Spartans against 
Michigan on TV.  I told her I would if someone bought the tickets.  
Didn't happen.  Iowa!  The hated Hogeyes!


> Now, if the college is not in the major city,
> they'll do fine if they win [Michigan and MSU for example]

Ann Arbor and East Lansing are far enough away from Detroit that they 
can draw on their own, although a lot of fans certainly do still make 
the trip.  Doesn't hurt that the Lions have always sucked.

-Michael

From thehaze at earthlink.net  Mon Nov 19 23:09:29 2007
From: thehaze at earthlink.net (Jim Bendat)
Date: Mon Nov 19 22:59:30 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] 2004-2005 vs. 2007-2008
Message-ID: <47426C09.10500@earthlink.net>

In 2004, we finished 6-6, a season which included many exciting 
victories.  We were 6-5 going into the last game, but a loss in the 
finale prevented us from going to a bowl.  In 2005, we had a senior QB 
had led us to a winning season and a bowl bid.

Sound familiar?  We have a excellent group of seniors who will be coming 
back next year.  Look for us to go bowling a year from now.   ---   Jim B.

From yevb0 at alumni.northwestern.edu  Tue Nov 20 09:24:43 2007
From: yevb0 at alumni.northwestern.edu (Evan Bradley)
Date: Tue Nov 20 09:14:42 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] motor city
Message-ID: <914d6aa90711200724q780f3adbo98da83efb9d1321e@mail.gmail.com>

However unlikely it is that we'll actually be selected, NU is leading
the vote at:

http://www.motorcitybowl.com/

From yevb0 at alumni.northwestern.edu  Tue Nov 20 10:02:37 2007
From: yevb0 at alumni.northwestern.edu (Evan Bradley)
Date: Tue Nov 20 09:52:35 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] motor city
In-Reply-To: <d477ce9c0711200735s66a61f9eh425088f43210a3e3@mail.gmail.com>
References: <914d6aa90711200724q780f3adbo98da83efb9d1321e@mail.gmail.com>
	<d477ce9c0711200735s66a61f9eh425088f43210a3e3@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <914d6aa90711200802n1f7515e0y2f3fdb65a22959b4@mail.gmail.com>

I'm not advocating any kind of illicit behavior of course, but cookies
are bad for your health, if you know what I mean.


On 11/20/07, Jonathan Hawkins <jonathan.m.hawkins@gmail.com> wrote:
> I can't tell but it looks like you could spam the poll by voting early and
> often. ;-)
>
>
> On Nov 20, 2007 9:24 AM, Evan Bradley <yevb0@alumni.northwestern.edu >
> wrote:
> >
> > However unlikely it is that we'll actually be selected, NU is leading
> > the vote at:
> >
> > http://www.motorcitybowl.com/
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > nwu-sports site list
> > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> >
>
>

From johnadeg at comcast.net  Tue Nov 20 10:51:38 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Tue Nov 20 10:41:35 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] motor city
Message-ID: <112020071651.11099.4743109A000A10BC00002B5B2216538496090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

It's amazing that more voters wanted to see NU than MSU.  I'm not sure what that says about Spartan fans unless they expect to go to a better bowl.

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Evan Bradley" <yevb0@alumni.northwestern.edu>
> However unlikely it is that we'll actually be selected, NU is leading
> the vote at:
> 
> http://www.motorcitybowl.com/
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From neilkaplan at yahoo.com  Tue Nov 20 10:55:18 2007
From: neilkaplan at yahoo.com (Neil Kaplan)
Date: Tue Nov 20 10:45:08 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Interesting article re: GB and PF
Message-ID: <131627.20341.qm@web54104.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/colleges/651590,CST-SPT-nu15.article
 
_________________________________________
NEIL KAPLAN
neilkaplan@yahoo.com

----- Original Message ----
From: Jeff Beamsley <jeff.beamsley@hilgraeve.com>
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 9:38:08 AM
Subject: [NU Sports] Recruiting


I was just doing a little googling because of Carr's retirement and
 came
across something that Jim Harbaugh said regarding recruiting at
 Stanford that
I think bears repeating for this group.  By way of attribution, this
 was
originally published in the NYT.  
 
I think you can generally do a cut and paste replacing Stanford with NU
 and
expect that it represents PF's philosophy too.  BTW, Harbaugh estimates
 that
there are 100-150 kids in this pool of recruits compared to 1000 in the
 pool
of recruits for most other BCS schools.  The difference is that those
 100-150
have already demonstrated by their academic success that they DO value
education.  So schools like Stanford and NU have a leg up in recruiting
 them.
Because they are going to be spread out all over the country, we have
 to
focus nationally, and we have to get to them early to make sure that we
 are
on their list.  We only need 10-20 every year.
 
Jeff
 
Why did you speak out about your academic experience at Michigan
 earlier this
year, condemning them for steering athletes into general studies?

The whole thrust of that was basically I'd like to see more schools do
 it
like Stanford does it. I wasn't singling Michigan out. I wish more
 schools
would have the kind of character that Stanford does as an institution.
 They
won't significantly cut corners for athletes here. They have a sincere
 desire
for athletes to improve academically. They're not just interested in
 how fast
you run and how high you jump. There's a standard to get into Stanford,
 to
graduate from Stanford and a character that they will not cut corners. 

Your pool is limited here. What surprised you when the reality of who
 you can
and can't recruit has come up in the last 10 months? 

It's a smaller pool. What's surprised me? I knew that it was a small
 pool.
That wasn't surprising. But I think the thing is that if you can get
 the
message out early. This is the key thing, getting the message out to
scholar-athletes when they are freshman, sophomores, juniors and
 seniors. To
get it to them at an early age. What a Stanford degree is worth. What a
Stanford degree can do for you. Let them know what to aspire to, and
 they
will do it. I think that the problem is that people say, 'You don't
 have to
do that. You don't have to take an A.P. course or an honors course.'
 People
will rise to the level that you expect of them. The good news is that
 you can
get to parents and perspective scholar-athletes at a younger age and
 get them
to take a rigorous schedule and get them to prepare for the ACT and SAT
testing. B's and A's are what you're shooting for, no C's. D's won't be
accepted. There's a standard to get in and we're not going to bend that
standard. 

How have you got that message out? 

Recruiting the transcript as well as the player. Recruiting the coach,
 the
counselor, the principal and the parents to let them know what it is
 that
they're shooting for. 

 

 
_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports



From spiritu at northwestern.edu  Tue Nov 20 10:57:37 2007
From: spiritu at northwestern.edu (Jonathan Michael Hawkins)
Date: Tue Nov 20 10:47:36 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] motor city
In-Reply-To: <112020071651.11099.4743109A000A10BC00002B5B2216538496090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
References: <112020071651.11099.4743109A000A10BC00002B5B2216538496090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <d477ce9c0711200857n6ad34b49xc262b71ae9172981@mail.gmail.com>

I wouldn't read too much into it.  The poll allows multiple votes from the
same IP address.  I'm guessing this is just making its way around the NU
dorms and, like all good Chicagoans, NU students are early and often.

Jonathan

On Nov 20, 2007 10:51 AM, <johnadeg@comcast.net> wrote:

> It's amazing that more voters wanted to see NU than MSU.  I'm not sure
> what that says about Spartan fans unless they expect to go to a better bowl.
>
> John DeGroat
>  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: "Evan Bradley" <yevb0@alumni.northwestern.edu>
> > However unlikely it is that we'll actually be selected, NU is leading
> > the vote at:
> >
> > http://www.motorcitybowl.com/
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > nwu-sports site list
> > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>
From thiegs at umn.edu  Tue Nov 20 11:16:44 2007
From: thiegs at umn.edu (Joe Thiegs)
Date: Tue Nov 20 11:11:05 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] motor city
In-Reply-To: <112020071651.11099.4743109A000A10BC00002B5B2216538496090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
References: <112020071651.11099.4743109A000A10BC00002B5B2216538496090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <003601c82b99$1ff575f0$fb326580@mnfound.umn.edu>

Out of close to 58,000 votes, that's not too bad (when I voted now, NU was
at 50%, followed by IU at 30% and MSU at 16%).  As Jonathan points out,
there's probably an element of "who wants it more," with NU fans voting
multiple times.  Of course, NU also led the Big Ten in total offense this
year, so most people probably would prefer to see those fireworks despite a
lousy defense . . . as opposed to Iowa's conference-worst offense but decent
defense, for example.

As a marginally-related aside, I thought the stat they discussed (maybe as
the AFLAC trivia question?)--about Bacher's three-game stretch earlier this
year being the second-most passing yards in three consecutive games in Big
Ten history--was pretty interesting.  Drew Brees had more passing yards in a
three-game stretch in 1998, but only by a handful of yards.

If Bacher can cut down on the INTs, next year he could be really impressive
(since I guess being the conference leader in total offense was only good
enough for All-Big Ten Honorable Mention), especially with a good group of
returning receivers--hopefully including Andrew Brewer--and Sutton and
Conteh to provide good balance and keep defenses honest.  The only big
question for me is the OL, with Rees, Thiry, and Crum gone after this
season.  Will Bacher get the same level of protection he got this year, and
will Sutton/Conteh have the same size holes through which to run?

No All-Big Ten First- or Second-Team players from NU this year.  When was
the last time that happened?

On defense next year, I think we improve just about everywhere but at MLB.
Hope springs eternal.

Go 'Cats!

-Joe


-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of johnadeg@comcast.net
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 10:52 AM
To: Evan Bradley; 'nwu-sports@tssi.com' Sports List
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] motor city

It's amazing that more voters wanted to see NU than MSU.  I'm not sure what
that says about Spartan fans unless they expect to go to a better bowl.

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Evan Bradley" <yevb0@alumni.northwestern.edu>
> However unlikely it is that we'll actually be selected, NU is leading
> the vote at:
> 
> http://www.motorcitybowl.com/
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From CHerron604 at aol.com  Tue Nov 20 12:42:09 2007
From: CHerron604 at aol.com (CHerron604@aol.com)
Date: Tue Nov 20 12:36:15 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Some Crucial Stats
Message-ID: <ce7.2105b7e8.34748481@aol.com>

Today's Chicago Tribune contained some very interesting statistics.
 
The Cats finished 1st in conference passing (307.9 ypg), 11th in rushing (a  
mere 119.8 ypg), and 1st in total yardage (427.7 ypg) - but 10th in scoring  
(25.8 ppg).  Most other teams scored in proportion to the yardage they  gained. 
 The other exceptions were OSU, which was 8th in yardage (397.1  ypg) but 3rd 
in scoring (32.0 ppg), and Indiana, 9th in yardage (393.3 ypg) but  4th in 
scoring (31.6 ppg).
 
Some of our problem was turnovers - we were 2nd worst in the league in  
turnover margin at -9 (16 takeaways, 25 giveaways).  But the problem  remains - we 
gained alot of yards, but did not convert those yards into  points.  And until 
we can convince the NCAA to start deciding  games on 'yards gained', we've 
got a problem.
 
The top 7 teams in the league standings finished 8th, 3rd, 10th, 5th, 7th,  
11th and 9th in yards gained.  That would seem to indicate that there is  not a 
strong relation between yards gained and league success.   The relation seems 
to be defense - the top 7 finished 1st, 7th, 3rd, 4th,  2nd, 5th and 9th in 
total defense.  We were not last - we gave up 410.5  ypg, and the Gophers gave 
up 518.7 ypg.  The message seems clear - good  defenses win in the Big 10.
 
Indiana seems a very interesting case.  9th in yardage but 4th in  scoring, 
and 9th in yardage given up, they still managed to finish 7-5 and  are probably 
Bowl bound.  We finished 1st in yardage but 10th in scoring,  and 10th in 
yardage given up, and we will be home for the holidays. 
 
So how do we attack these 2 problems ?  Other than taking the ball  away more 
often than we give it away, how do we start converting yardage gained  more 
efficiently into points scored ?  And how do we stop finishing at or  near the 
bottom of the league in defense ?
 
Chuck Herron   Tech '85



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
From szeller at comcast.net  Tue Nov 20 13:08:16 2007
From: szeller at comcast.net (szeller@comcast.net)
Date: Tue Nov 20 12:58:15 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] A thought on bowling
Message-ID: <112020071908.8677.474330A0000113A6000021E522165258569D0A04040A969C@comcast.net>

Perhaps farfetched, but knowing how much the BT would want the revenue and exposure, and can wield influence, how about this scenario:
The Big Ten office, working with the AD's, talks to some of the at-large bowls, and those bowls whose conference does not have bowl-eligible teams, and offers some of our 7-5 teams. They find interesting warm-weather spots for those attractive-record teams, and their fans are happy with a fun, new, different spot to go to. They then fill the bottom two conference-assigned bowls with 6-6 NU and Iowa. All ten teams get a bowl, ten bowls get Big Ten exposure and fan turnout, the Big Ten is happy, everyone is happy. Possible?

Scott Zeller MD
Med '86
From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Tue Nov 20 13:22:42 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Tue Nov 20 13:12:44 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Some Crucial Stats
In-Reply-To: <ce7.2105b7e8.34748481@aol.com>
References: <ce7.2105b7e8.34748481@aol.com>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711201122u923787cxd0c41420db508818@mail.gmail.com>

The primary problem this year was red zone scoring: NU scored 77% of the
time in the red zone but scored TDs only 60% of the time.  NU showed a great
ability to move the ball "between the 20s" but failed to punch it in
numerous times.

It was obvious that McGee's offensive game plan this year was to run a
pass-centered offense.  Right off the bat in NU's first offensive series of
the year, NU passed the ball 7 times (with 7 completions) along with 2
Sutton runs and 1 Bacher run (for the TD) against Northeastern, which should
have indicated this trend early on (NU's OL easily outsized Northeastern's
defensive line which definitely lent itself towards running the ball, but NU
passed anyways).  What this strategy meant was that if Bacher, the offensive
line, or the receivers were out of sync then things could go south quickly
(as we learned in the 4th quarter of more than one ball game) - which is in
stark contrast to a run-heavy game where you need to focus on plowing the
defense off the line and letting the RB do the rest.

In any case, the red zone issues mostly came because the spread pass-heavy
attack just isn't effective when the field shrinks, which is the case in the
red zone.  A perfect example, unfortunately, is the end of the Duke game
where NU went 1-7 passing on 2 new sets of downs inside the red zone: Duke
could blitz CJ almost at will while managing to cover as much field as
necessary, therefore forcing bad throws - they didn't have to worry about
the run and they didn't have to worry about receivers getting downfield too
far.

Also, the fact is that the OL underwhelmed for much of the year (allowing 32
sacks on the season) and CJ has not shown a consistent ability to throw well
while on the move (whether that be while scrambling, on a designed roll out,
or having to move in the pocket).  This meant that when pressure got back
there (which was more often than we would have liked), CJ had to get rid of
the ball - sometimes to bad results.

I fully expect McGee to learn and address this issue in the offseason -
because look at how much he improved the offense from last year.  What we
saw in yards vs. points this year was most likely a direct result of the
relative lack of coaching experience on the offensive side (remember that
Walker was the NU offense's guru) and that we've already seen improvement so
more should be coming.

The question I'm much more worried about, though, is how can NU shore up its
defense and get back to respectability.  Since Walker took over in 1999, the
best defensive performance in terms of points yielded was 2003 (25.1 ppg,
57th nationally) and in terms of yards was 2006 (362.5 ypg, 85th
nationally).  I have no doubt that the offense can manage to pull out some
wins for NU, but the defense has to give the offense a fighting chance in
order to have a shot at a championship, as you noted.

On defense, NU needs to be much more aggressive (in order to generate those
turnovers) and more physical up front.  NU ranked 95th nationally this year
in sacks, which is probably the easiest stat to turn to.  If the defense can
get guys in the backfield quickly and get the the QB/ball carrier, good
things can happen: fumbles, sacks, bad throws that turn into incompletions
or INTs.  The fact is that NU's defense hasn't been able to consistently get
to the QB: hence why opposing QBs can look like All-Americans every week
(look at Duke's Lewis and Iowa's Christiansen who were horrible most of the
year... except when playing NU).  And the "soft" coverage in the secondary
hasn't helped matters either (but then again any QB can find an open
receiver if they have all day to throw).  To me this points to the need for
a big strategy change (e.g. coaching shakeup on that side of the ball) as
what's been going on obviously hasn't been working despite having at least a
decent amount of talent (look at the roll call of NFL bound defensive
players: McGarigle, Castillo, Cofield, Bentley...).

Jonathan

On Nov 20, 2007 12:42 PM, <CHerron604@aol.com> wrote:

> Today's Chicago Tribune contained some very interesting statistics.
>
> The Cats finished 1st in conference passing (307.9 ypg), 11th in rushing
> (a
> mere 119.8 ypg), and 1st in total yardage (427.7 ypg) - but 10th in
> scoring
> (25.8 ppg).  Most other teams scored in proportion to the yardage they
>  gained.
>  The other exceptions were OSU, which was 8th in yardage (397.1  ypg) but
> 3rd
> in scoring (32.0 ppg), and Indiana, 9th in yardage (393.3 ypg) but  4th in
> scoring (31.6 ppg).
>
> Some of our problem was turnovers - we were 2nd worst in the league in
> turnover margin at -9 (16 takeaways, 25 giveaways).  But the problem
>  remains - we
> gained alot of yards, but did not convert those yards into  points.  And
> until
> we can convince the NCAA to start deciding  games on 'yards gained', we've
> got a problem.
>
> The top 7 teams in the league standings finished 8th, 3rd, 10th, 5th, 7th,
> 11th and 9th in yards gained.  That would seem to indicate that there is
>  not a
> strong relation between yards gained and league success.   The relation
> seems
> to be defense - the top 7 finished 1st, 7th, 3rd, 4th,  2nd, 5th and 9th
> in
> total defense.  We were not last - we gave up 410.5  ypg, and the Gophers
> gave
> up 518.7 ypg.  The message seems clear - good  defenses win in the Big 10.
>
> Indiana seems a very interesting case.  9th in yardage but 4th in
>  scoring,
> and 9th in yardage given up, they still managed to finish 7-5 and  are
> probably
> Bowl bound.  We finished 1st in yardage but 10th in scoring,  and 10th in
> yardage given up, and we will be home for the holidays.
>
> So how do we attack these 2 problems ?  Other than taking the ball  away
> more
> often than we give it away, how do we start converting yardage gained
>  more
> efficiently into points scored ?  And how do we stop finishing at or  near
> the
> bottom of the league in defense ?
>
> Chuck Herron   Tech '85
>
>
>
> ************************************** See what's new at
> http://www.aol.com
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From nolan at romaine.tssi.com  Tue Nov 20 13:22:15 2007
From: nolan at romaine.tssi.com (Mike Nolan)
Date: Tue Nov 20 13:22:21 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] A thought on bowling 
Message-ID: <200711201922.lAKJMFCD022551@romaine.tssi.com>

> The Big Ten office, working with the AD's, talks to some of the at-large bowls, and those bowls whose conference does not have bowl-eligible teams, and offers some of our 7-5 teams. They find interesting warm-weather spots for those attractive-record teams, and their fans are happy with a fun, new, different spot to go to. They then fill the bottom two conference-assigned bowls with 6-6 NU and Iowa. All ten teams get a bowl, ten bowls get Big Ten exposure and fan turnout, the Big Ten is happy, everyone is happy. Possible?

Not all that far fetched.  The last list I saw indicated that the Big 12 
(and possibly other conferences) might not meet all its bowl committments.  

The question may hinge on whether a 6-6 Big 10 team can be taken over
a 7-5 team from another conferemce, such as the MAC, when neither 
conference has an automatic tie-in to that bowl.

The Big 10 may not be out of the running for a 2nd BCS bowl slot.

According to ESPN, the BCS is about to announce that they will expand
the number of teams eligible for BCS bowl games to the top 18 on the final 
BCS standings.  

As ESPN explains it, there's a possibility that some teams in the top 14 
(such as the 2nd place ACC team) might not have enough wins (9) to 
qualify for a BCS bowl.  One possible beneficiary of this is Illinois,
currently #17 on the list.  

Here's an interesting question:  Northwestern is bowl-eligible but not
guaranteed a bowl slot, something they won't know for sure until the 
1st Sunday in December.  

Are they permitted to practice this week and next?
--
Mike Nolan

From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Tue Nov 20 13:34:49 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Tue Nov 20 13:25:42 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] A thought on bowling
In-Reply-To: <112020071908.8677.474330A0000113A6000021E522165258569D0A04040A969C@comcast.net>
References: <112020071908.8677.474330A0000113A6000021E522165258569D0A04040A969C@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711201134k76c858c1n7270ce173af9827d@mail.gmail.com>

I don't think this is possible since the rules are that the bowls with
conference tie-ins have first dibs at those conference teams and that the
teams with winning records must be selected prior to teams with 6-6
records.  Also, the NCAA rules do not allow for official agreements to be
made between bowls and conferences after the start of the season (so that
you don't end up with extra tie-ins to make room for those extra 6-6 teams,
which basically addresses what you're getting at).

The best example as to why that wouldn't work came last year where the
following BCS conference teams were left out of bowls despite having a "bowl
eligible" 6-6 record: Kansas, Pittsburgh, Arizona, and Washington State
(there were also 5 other lower tier conference teams at 6-6 that were left
at home).  Meanwhile, "lower tier" conference teams got to go bowling with
7-5 records thanks to those rules that allowed them to be selected above
teams with 6-6 records, e.g. NIU.

Jonathan

On Nov 20, 2007 1:08 PM, <szeller@comcast.net> wrote:

> Perhaps farfetched, but knowing how much the BT would want the revenue and
> exposure, and can wield influence, how about this scenario:
> The Big Ten office, working with the AD's, talks to some of the at-large
> bowls, and those bowls whose conference does not have bowl-eligible teams,
> and offers some of our 7-5 teams. They find interesting warm-weather spots
> for those attractive-record teams, and their fans are happy with a fun, new,
> different spot to go to. They then fill the bottom two conference-assigned
> bowls with 6-6 NU and Iowa. All ten teams get a bowl, ten bowls get Big Ten
> exposure and fan turnout, the Big Ten is happy, everyone is happy. Possible?
>
> Scott Zeller MD
> Med '86
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Tue Nov 20 13:37:42 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Tue Nov 20 13:27:50 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] A thought on bowling
In-Reply-To: <200711201922.lAKJMFCD022551@romaine.tssi.com>
References: <200711201922.lAKJMFCD022551@romaine.tssi.com>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711201137q54203096kab65a747caba9d0a@mail.gmail.com>

Fitz has said that NU will practice this week and there are practices slated
for Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.  See the following Daily Herald article
for more info:

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=80847&src=289

So, apparently they are allowed to practice.  I would guess that teams are
allowed to practice until the regular season is technically over across the
nation, since other teams with "bye" weeks are afforded the opportunity to
practice in those such weeks - it just so happens the Big Ten schedule ends
prior to Thanksgiving.

Jonathan

On Nov 20, 2007 1:22 PM, Mike Nolan <nolan@romaine.tssi.com> wrote:

> > The Big Ten office, working with the AD's, talks to some of the at-large
> bowls, and those bowls whose conference does not have bowl-eligible teams,
> and offers some of our 7-5 teams. They find interesting warm-weather spots
> for those attractive-record teams, and their fans are happy with a fun, new,
> different spot to go to. They then fill the bottom two conference-assigned
> bowls with 6-6 NU and Iowa. All ten teams get a bowl, ten bowls get Big Ten
> exposure and fan turnout, the Big Ten is happy, everyone is happy. Possible?
>
> Not all that far fetched.  The last list I saw indicated that the Big 12
> (and possibly other conferences) might not meet all its bowl committments.
>
> The question may hinge on whether a 6-6 Big 10 team can be taken over
> a 7-5 team from another conferemce, such as the MAC, when neither
> conference has an automatic tie-in to that bowl.
>
> The Big 10 may not be out of the running for a 2nd BCS bowl slot.
>
> According to ESPN, the BCS is about to announce that they will expand
> the number of teams eligible for BCS bowl games to the top 18 on the final
> BCS standings.
>
> As ESPN explains it, there's a possibility that some teams in the top 14
> (such as the 2nd place ACC team) might not have enough wins (9) to
> qualify for a BCS bowl.  One possible beneficiary of this is Illinois,
> currently #17 on the list.
>
> Here's an interesting question:  Northwestern is bowl-eligible but not
> guaranteed a bowl slot, something they won't know for sure until the
> 1st Sunday in December.
>
> Are they permitted to practice this week and next?
> --
> Mike Nolan
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From tkmaycock at yahoo.com  Tue Nov 20 13:46:19 2007
From: tkmaycock at yahoo.com (Tom Maycock)
Date: Tue Nov 20 13:36:09 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] A thought on bowling 
In-Reply-To: <200711201922.lAKJMFCD022551@romaine.tssi.com>
Message-ID: <453102.22016.qm@web33110.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

> Here's an interesting question:  Northwestern is bowl-eligible but
> not
> guaranteed a bowl slot, something they won't know for sure until the 
> 1st Sunday in December.  
> 
> Are they permitted to practice this week and next?

I had the same question, and according to the Tribune article today,
they will indeed be practicing later this week (2 or 3 times, I think).


I don't know if that's allowed because the college football "regular
season" actually extends through this weekend, or because they are
"bowl eligible", but it certainly can't hurt in any case. 

The bowl idea is an interesting proposition. However, while I can
easily why the Big Ten might push for any plan allowing them to place
more teams, it's hard to imagine the lower tier Big 10 bowl games going
along with "allowing" a couple 7-5 teams to go elsewhere, while they
end up with the 6-6 teams. 

But if it worked out, I'd sure love to see the Cats get one more crack
at it this year though.

Geez, does this mean I should root for Colorado to beat Nebraska this
weekend to keep the Huskers off the bowl-eligible list? I'm not sure
that's something I could stomach. :-)

Tom



From Winkler_Brian_H at cat.com  Tue Nov 20 14:02:28 2007
From: Winkler_Brian_H at cat.com (Brian H. Winkler)
Date: Tue Nov 20 13:55:58 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] A thought on bowling
In-Reply-To: <200711201922.lAKJMFCD022551@romaine.tssi.com>
Message-ID: <OF3FA8FB1E.97BB0069-ON86257399.006DF274-86257399.006E16D6@notes.cat.com>

Here's an interesting question:  Northwestern is bowl-eligible but not
guaranteed a bowl slot, something they won't know for sure until the
1st Sunday in December.

Are they permitted to practice this week and next?
--
Mike Nolan


During Fitz's post game interview, he mentioned that they would be back on
the practice field this year.


From NEONRye at aol.com  Tue Nov 20 14:06:04 2007
From: NEONRye at aol.com (NEONRye@aol.com)
Date: Tue Nov 20 13:57:29 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] A thought on bowling
Message-ID: <c94.1d94e6dc.3474982c@aol.com>

Hey, if Kansas was 6-6 last year, and left out of the bowl picture, maybe  
there's a message here for Fitz and NU.  Let's go 11-0 next year, heading  into 
last game and in teh B



**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest 
products.
(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
From nolan at romaine.tssi.com  Tue Nov 20 14:03:39 2007
From: nolan at romaine.tssi.com (Mike Nolan)
Date: Tue Nov 20 14:03:42 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] A thought on bowling
In-Reply-To: <453102.22016.qm@web33110.mail.mud.yahoo.com> from "Tom Maycock"
	at Nov 20, 2007 11:46:19 AM
Message-ID: <200711202003.lAKK3dut022741@romaine.tssi.com>

> Geez, does this mean I should root for Colorado to beat Nebraska this
> weekend to keep the Huskers off the bowl-eligible list? I'm not sure
> that's something I could stomach. :-)

I don't think it makes much difference to Northwestern which team wins, 
both are currently 5-6, so one will wind up 6-6, the other 5-7.  ABC has
got to be THRILLED having that as one of their games on Friday!

The game's in Boulder, I haven't checked but I suspect CU is a slight 
favorite.
--
Mike Nolan

From NEONRye at aol.com  Tue Nov 20 15:03:47 2007
From: NEONRye at aol.com (NEONRye@aol.com)
Date: Tue Nov 20 14:54:51 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] A thought on bowling
Message-ID: <c20.25b8f58a.3474a5b3@aol.com>

Hey, if Kansas was 6-6 last year, and left out of the bowl picture,  maybe  
there's a message here for Fitz and NU.  Let's go 11-0 next  year, heading  
into 
last game and then end up in the BCS Championship  mix.
 
Have a Happy Turkey Day everyone.
 
Paul Levinson



**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest 
products.
(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
From Alan.Abrahamson at nbcsports.com  Tue Nov 20 15:08:15 2007
From: Alan.Abrahamson at nbcsports.com (Abrahamson, Alan (NBC Universal))
Date: Tue Nov 20 14:59:20 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Some Crucial Stats
In-Reply-To: <fcb3ee270711201122u923787cxd0c41420db508818@mail.gmail.com>
References: <ce7.2105b7e8.34748481@aol.com>
	<fcb3ee270711201122u923787cxd0c41420db508818@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <33C4F11DF8639640A51C79CB484166FF031D26BB@RKFMLVEM02.e2k.ad.ge.com>


 Here's my 2007 recap, for whatever minimal value it's worth:
 The Wildcat defense, regrettably, and as in far too many prior
campaigns, remains entirely susceptible to big plays.
 The offensive line was weirdly inconsistent.
 Nonetheless:
 We were 4-8 last year, 6-6 this year. Should have been 7-5 (Duke).
 With a second-year coach who is learning his way through
game-management (Duke). 
 With a quarterback in his first full season of Big Ten play.
 With the star running back out for half the season.
 With a potentially star receiver out for the entire year.
 Even so:
 We had fourth-quarter leads on Michigan, Purdue and Iowa. Each of those
games was entirely winnable.
 We were thoroughly outplayed in only two games, Ohio State and
Illinois.
 Thus: 
 I look at the 2007 season, and for all the maddening moments, I see
real progress.
 Next year, assuming the offensive line can keep him safe, I would
expect Bacher to make far better decisions and to be more precise in his
passing. I don't doubt that some of Bacher's interceptions this year
were his own damn fault. But way too many came because he was fleeing
like a bunny in front of the howling hounds.
 Next year, the defensive scheme must be re-tooled to minimize the big
play risk. I saw major improvement this year in containing the run.
(Exception: mobile quarterbacks, e.g., Williams, Juice). The 2008
Wildcat defense must learn to defend the pass.
 If those big if's can be met, I for one expect big things in 2008.
  
 

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com]
On Behalf Of Jonathan Hodges
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 11:23 AM
To: CHerron604@aol.com
Cc: nwu-sports@romaine.tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Some Crucial Stats

The primary problem this year was red zone scoring: NU scored 77% of the
time in the red zone but scored TDs only 60% of the time.  NU showed a
great ability to move the ball "between the 20s" but failed to punch it
in numerous times.

It was obvious that McGee's offensive game plan this year was to run a
pass-centered offense.  Right off the bat in NU's first offensive series
of the year, NU passed the ball 7 times (with 7 completions) along with
2 Sutton runs and 1 Bacher run (for the TD) against Northeastern, which
should have indicated this trend early on (NU's OL easily outsized
Northeastern's defensive line which definitely lent itself towards
running the ball, but NU passed anyways).  What this strategy meant was
that if Bacher, the offensive line, or the receivers were out of sync
then things could go south quickly (as we learned in the 4th quarter of
more than one ball game) - which is in stark contrast to a run-heavy
game where you need to focus on plowing the defense off the line and
letting the RB do the rest.

In any case, the red zone issues mostly came because the spread
pass-heavy attack just isn't effective when the field shrinks, which is
the case in the red zone.  A perfect example, unfortunately, is the end
of the Duke game where NU went 1-7 passing on 2 new sets of downs inside
the red zone: Duke could blitz CJ almost at will while managing to cover
as much field as necessary, therefore forcing bad throws - they didn't
have to worry about the run and they didn't have to worry about
receivers getting downfield too far.

Also, the fact is that the OL underwhelmed for much of the year
(allowing 32 sacks on the season) and CJ has not shown a consistent
ability to throw well while on the move (whether that be while
scrambling, on a designed roll out, or having to move in the pocket).
This meant that when pressure got back there (which was more often than
we would have liked), CJ had to get rid of the ball - sometimes to bad
results.

I fully expect McGee to learn and address this issue in the offseason -
because look at how much he improved the offense from last year.  What
we saw in yards vs. points this year was most likely a direct result of
the relative lack of coaching experience on the offensive side (remember
that Walker was the NU offense's guru) and that we've already seen
improvement so more should be coming.

The question I'm much more worried about, though, is how can NU shore up
its defense and get back to respectability.  Since Walker took over in
1999, the best defensive performance in terms of points yielded was 2003
(25.1 ppg, 57th nationally) and in terms of yards was 2006 (362.5 ypg,
85th nationally).  I have no doubt that the offense can manage to pull
out some wins for NU, but the defense has to give the offense a fighting
chance in order to have a shot at a championship, as you noted.

On defense, NU needs to be much more aggressive (in order to generate
those
turnovers) and more physical up front.  NU ranked 95th nationally this
year in sacks, which is probably the easiest stat to turn to.  If the
defense can get guys in the backfield quickly and get the the QB/ball
carrier, good things can happen: fumbles, sacks, bad throws that turn
into incompletions or INTs.  The fact is that NU's defense hasn't been
able to consistently get to the QB: hence why opposing QBs can look like
All-Americans every week (look at Duke's Lewis and Iowa's Christiansen
who were horrible most of the year... except when playing NU).  And the
"soft" coverage in the secondary hasn't helped matters either (but then
again any QB can find an open receiver if they have all day to throw).
To me this points to the need for a big strategy change (e.g. coaching
shakeup on that side of the ball) as what's been going on obviously
hasn't been working despite having at least a decent amount of talent
(look at the roll call of NFL bound defensive
players: McGarigle, Castillo, Cofield, Bentley...).

Jonathan

On Nov 20, 2007 12:42 PM, <CHerron604@aol.com> wrote:

> Today's Chicago Tribune contained some very interesting statistics.
>
> The Cats finished 1st in conference passing (307.9 ypg), 11th in 
> rushing (a mere 119.8 ypg), and 1st in total yardage (427.7 ypg) - but

> 10th in scoring
> (25.8 ppg).  Most other teams scored in proportion to the yardage they

> gained.
>  The other exceptions were OSU, which was 8th in yardage (397.1  ypg) 
> but 3rd in scoring (32.0 ppg), and Indiana, 9th in yardage (393.3 ypg)

> but  4th in scoring (31.6 ppg).
>
> Some of our problem was turnovers - we were 2nd worst in the league in

> turnover margin at -9 (16 takeaways, 25 giveaways).  But the problem  
> remains - we gained alot of yards, but did not convert those yards 
> into  points.  And until we can convince the NCAA to start deciding  
> games on 'yards gained', we've got a problem.
>
> The top 7 teams in the league standings finished 8th, 3rd, 10th, 5th, 
> 7th, 11th and 9th in yards gained.  That would seem to indicate that 
> there is  not a
> strong relation between yards gained and league success.   The
relation
> seems
> to be defense - the top 7 finished 1st, 7th, 3rd, 4th,  2nd, 5th and 
> 9th in total defense.  We were not last - we gave up 410.5  ypg, and 
> the Gophers gave up 518.7 ypg.  The message seems clear - good  
> defenses win in the Big 10.
>
> Indiana seems a very interesting case.  9th in yardage but 4th in  
> scoring, and 9th in yardage given up, they still managed to finish 7-5

> and  are probably Bowl bound.  We finished 1st in yardage but 10th in 
> scoring,  and 10th in yardage given up, and we will be home for the 
> holidays.
>
> So how do we attack these 2 problems ?  Other than taking the ball  
> away more often than we give it away, how do we start converting 
> yardage gained  more efficiently into points scored ?  And how do we 
> stop finishing at or  near the bottom of the league in defense ?
>
> Chuck Herron   Tech '85
>
>
>
> ************************************** See what's new at 
> http://www.aol.com _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From thiegs at umn.edu  Tue Nov 20 15:51:23 2007
From: thiegs at umn.edu (Joe Thiegs)
Date: Tue Nov 20 15:44:59 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] A thought on bowling 
In-Reply-To: <453102.22016.qm@web33110.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
References: <200711201922.lAKJMFCD022551@romaine.tssi.com>
	<453102.22016.qm@web33110.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <008b01c82bbf$7e2f8310$fb326580@mnfound.umn.edu>

>  Geez, does this mean I should root for Colorado to beat Nebraska this
>  weekend to keep the Huskers off the bowl-eligible list?

Tom:

Yes.

-Joe  :)

P.S.  That goes for Mike, too.

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of Tom Maycock
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 1:46 PM
To: Mike Nolan; nwu-sports@romaine.tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] A thought on bowling 

> Here's an interesting question:  Northwestern is bowl-eligible but
> not
> guaranteed a bowl slot, something they won't know for sure until the 
> 1st Sunday in December.  
> 
> Are they permitted to practice this week and next?

I had the same question, and according to the Tribune article today,
they will indeed be practicing later this week (2 or 3 times, I think).


I don't know if that's allowed because the college football "regular
season" actually extends through this weekend, or because they are
"bowl eligible", but it certainly can't hurt in any case. 

The bowl idea is an interesting proposition. However, while I can
easily why the Big Ten might push for any plan allowing them to place
more teams, it's hard to imagine the lower tier Big 10 bowl games going
along with "allowing" a couple 7-5 teams to go elsewhere, while they
end up with the 6-6 teams. 

But if it worked out, I'd sure love to see the Cats get one more crack
at it this year though.

Geez, does this mean I should root for Colorado to beat Nebraska this
weekend to keep the Huskers off the bowl-eligible list? I'm not sure
that's something I could stomach. :-)

Tom



_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From johnadeg at comcast.net  Tue Nov 20 16:27:55 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Tue Nov 20 16:17:52 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Some Crucial Stats
Message-ID: <112020072227.11099.47435F6B000606F800002B5B2216549976090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

We stop finishing t the bottom of  Divison I-A in defense when we get a new defensive coordinator.

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: CHerron604@aol.com
> Today's Chicago Tribune contained some very interesting statistics.
>  
> The Cats finished 1st in conference passing (307.9 ypg), 11th in rushing (a  
> mere 119.8 ypg), and 1st in total yardage (427.7 ypg) - but 10th in scoring  
> (25.8 ppg).  Most other teams scored in proportion to the yardage they  gained. 
>  The other exceptions were OSU, which was 8th in yardage (397.1  ypg) but 3rd 
> in scoring (32.0 ppg), and Indiana, 9th in yardage (393.3 ypg) but  4th in 
> scoring (31.6 ppg).
>  
> Some of our problem was turnovers - we were 2nd worst in the league in  
> turnover margin at -9 (16 takeaways, 25 giveaways).  But the problem  remains - 
> we 
> gained alot of yards, but did not convert those yards into  points.  And until 
> we can convince the NCAA to start deciding  games on 'yards gained', we've 
> got a problem.
>  
> The top 7 teams in the league standings finished 8th, 3rd, 10th, 5th, 7th,  
> 11th and 9th in yards gained.  That would seem to indicate that there is  not a 
> strong relation between yards gained and league success.   The relation seems 
> to be defense - the top 7 finished 1st, 7th, 3rd, 4th,  2nd, 5th and 9th in 
> total defense.  We were not last - we gave up 410.5  ypg, and the Gophers gave 
> up 518.7 ypg.  The message seems clear - good  defenses win in the Big 10.
>  
> Indiana seems a very interesting case.  9th in yardage but 4th in  scoring, 
> and 9th in yardage given up, they still managed to finish 7-5 and  are probably 
> Bowl bound.  We finished 1st in yardage but 10th in scoring,  and 10th in 
> yardage given up, and we will be home for the holidays. 
>  
> So how do we attack these 2 problems ?  Other than taking the ball  away more 
> often than we give it away, how do we start converting yardage gained  more 
> efficiently into points scored ?  And how do we stop finishing at or  near the 
> bottom of the league in defense ?
>  
> Chuck Herron   Tech '85
> 
> 
> 
> ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From tbng at comcast.net  Tue Nov 20 16:45:25 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Tue Nov 20 16:35:27 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Some Crucial Stats
References: <112020072227.11099.47435F6B000606F800002B5B2216549976090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <001d01c82bc7$0af58d10$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>


> We stop finishing t the bottom of  Divison I-A in defense when we get a 
> new defensive coordinator.
>
> John DeGroat

I don't agree, but it won't hurt to try (except Greg Colby, of course)  I 
find it hard to believe the defensive scheme limited Corey Wooten to one 
sack and our entire team to recovering two fumbles all season.

P.S.  Not one of the top 100 recruits for next year have Northwestern on 
their interest list, this from recruiting.scout.com.  That has got to change 
and soon. 

From s.fridley at comcast.net  Tue Nov 20 16:58:01 2007
From: s.fridley at comcast.net (s.fridley@comcast.net)
Date: Tue Nov 20 16:47:59 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] A thought on bowling
Message-ID: <112020072258.2095.47436679000E688F0000082F2207001641970A040B079D00D29C@comcast.net>

At a tailgate following the Illinois game, I had a chance to speak with a couple of the players.  They said that as a bowl- eligible team, the Cats could practice WITHOUT pads until the last bowl teams are selected, which I believe is Dec. 3.  They guessed at the time that most of the regulars would not practice (but would run, run, run) in favor of the younger players to get an advance look at next season.  If a bizarre sequence of events led to an actual bowl invite, the regulars would get in some practice time too after the bid was accepted.

They knew a bid was a near impossibility, but that was their impression as to practice.
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Brian H. Winkler" <Winkler_Brian_H@cat.com>
> Here's an interesting question:  Northwestern is bowl-eligible but not
> guaranteed a bowl slot, something they won't know for sure until the
> 1st Sunday in December.
> 
> Are they permitted to practice this week and next?
> --
> Mike Nolan
> 
> 
> During Fitz's post game interview, he mentioned that they would be back on
> the practice field this year.
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com  Tue Nov 20 17:31:17 2007
From: jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com (Jeff Beamsley)
Date: Tue Nov 20 17:21:50 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Some Crucial Stats
In-Reply-To: <001d01c82bc7$0af58d10$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
References: <112020072227.11099.47435F6B000606F800002B5B2216549976090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
	<001d01c82bc7$0af58d10$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
Message-ID: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0B7A@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>

 
I just looked through the list too and there are also none of those top 100
committed to Stanford, Vanderbilt, Duke, Rice, the ivy's or any of the other
schools that put academics ahead of football either.    

The kids on that top 100 list aren't interested in any of those schools
because they are planning on a pro football career, not a career that depends
on what they learn in school.  That's not to say that they aren't good
students and won't someday make use of their college education.  It's just
that we are never going to get the kid that wants to put his football career
first.  BTW, I don't necessarily blame those kids who have been successful in
football wanting to pick a school that gives them the best shot at a pro
career.  It's just that they are taking a huge risk.   

If you look compare the NU and Stanford lists, though, it looks like we are
both going for a lot of the same kids.  That's really my measure of whether
or not PF is doing a good job getting the word out.  We should get a few more
kids from the Midwest.  Stanford is going to get more kids from the west
coast.  We'll arm wrestle over the rest.   

The bottom line is that we don't need top 100 recruits to win.  ND gets way
more of them than we do every year and couldn't even muster a winning record
against the service academies.  We just need 20 or so of the 100-150 kids
every year that are good enough students to graduate from Northwestern and
good enough football players to win the in the BT.

We are never going to be OSU or Michigan in this league, but we should expect
to go bowling 75% of the time (just missed it this year) and every four years
or so make a run at the BT Championship (next year should be one of those
years).  Then maybe every 16-20 years or so we'll be blessed with a special
BT Championship team that has a shot at being ranked high enough to play in
the BCS bowl.  That would be good enough for me.

BTW the obvious parity on the BT is going to make winning the BT easier in
the coming years than it has been in the past.  The fewer doormats, the more
likely that, like this year, the BT champs are going to have at least one
loss.  If we won all of the games that we had in hand in the fourth quarter
this year, we would have entered the Illinois game with an opportunity to
play for the BT championship.  We aren't that far away.

Jeff


  




-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of Dennis W. Brandt
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 5:45 PM
To: nwu-sports@romaine.tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Some Crucial Stats


> We stop finishing t the bottom of  Divison I-A in defense when we get 
> a new defensive coordinator.
>
> John DeGroat

I don't agree, but it won't hurt to try (except Greg Colby, of course)  I
find it hard to believe the defensive scheme limited Corey Wooten to one sack
and our entire team to recovering two fumbles all season.

P.S.  Not one of the top 100 recruits for next year have Northwestern on
their interest list, this from recruiting.scout.com.  That has got to change
and soon. 

_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From rstetson at capps-assoc.com  Tue Nov 20 19:16:29 2007
From: rstetson at capps-assoc.com (Roy Lamberton)
Date: Tue Nov 20 19:05:47 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Some Crucial Stats
In-Reply-To: <001d01c82bc7$0af58d10$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
References: <112020072227.11099.47435F6B000606F800002B5B2216549976090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
	<001d01c82bc7$0af58d10$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
Message-ID: <004701c82bdc$25d896d0$7189c470$@com>

I wonder if Mr. Wootton was hurt during the end of the season, accounting for
his lack of sack production, altho despite the talent level of the other DE's,
Corey probably got doubled most of the year.

Top 100 prospects have rarely considered playing in Evanston.

rsl

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate
& sometime Unix Guru....
Computer Applications & Support Associates 
==========  Go Cats -? Beat 'em All  ============
"You have a Republic Madam --
???? If you can keep it" - Benjamin Franklin
============================================


> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
> Behalf Of Dennis W. Brandt
> Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 5:45 PM
> To: nwu-sports@romaine.tssi.com
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Some Crucial Stats
> 
> 
> > We stop finishing t the bottom of  Divison I-A in defense when we get a
> > new defensive coordinator.
> >
> > John DeGroat
> 
> I don't agree, but it won't hurt to try (except Greg Colby, of course)  I
> find it hard to believe the defensive scheme limited Corey Wooten to one
> sack and our entire team to recovering two fumbles all season.
> 
> P.S.  Not one of the top 100 recruits for next year have Northwestern on
> their interest list, this from recruiting.scout.com.  That has got to
> change
> and soon.
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports


From prplehaze at insightbb.com  Tue Nov 20 21:14:20 2007
From: prplehaze at insightbb.com (Mark Ament)
Date: Tue Nov 20 21:06:09 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] A thought on bowling
In-Reply-To: <fcb3ee270711201134k76c858c1n7270ce173af9827d@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <001601c82bec$9c316c20$6400a8c0@PC244461808863>

6-6 teams are not allowed to go to at-large slots until all 7-5 teams have
been taken, however, 6-6 teams ARE allowed to go to conference affiliated
bowls even if 7-5 teams from other conferences are staying home.  In Scott's
scenario, NU could get the Motor City bid since the at-large bids were being
filled by 7-5 teams.  It appears that both the Big 12 and Pac-10 will not be
able to fill all their slots, especially if the Big 12 gets two BCS bids as
seems likely.

 

The expansion of the BCS at large field to 18 seems designed to accomplish
two things: 1) assure Boise of a bid should it beat Hawai'i this week, and
2) assure Illinois of a BCS bid - why I don't know - I guess it's because
there just aren't any other options.

 

With Big Ten bowls able to take their pick of the bottom of bowl eligible
teams, it would appear that with some quick work by the Big Ten office, that
Scott's scenario is workable.

Mark

 

 

SportsBiz  <http://thesportsbizblog.blogspot.com/> - The Business of Sports
Illuminated

When it comes to sports, you know it's all about

the money.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of Jonathan Hodges
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 2:35 PM
To: szeller@comcast.net
Cc: nwu-sports@romaine.tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] A thought on bowling

 

I don't think this is possible since the rules are that the bowls with

conference tie-ins have first dibs at those conference teams and that the

teams with winning records must be selected prior to teams with 6-6

records.  Also, the NCAA rules do not allow for official agreements to be

made between bowls and conferences after the start of the season (so that

you don't end up with extra tie-ins to make room for those extra 6-6 teams,

which basically addresses what you're getting at).

 

The best example as to why that wouldn't work came last year where the

following BCS conference teams were left out of bowls despite having a "bowl

eligible" 6-6 record: Kansas, Pittsburgh, Arizona, and Washington State

(there were also 5 other lower tier conference teams at 6-6 that were left

at home).  Meanwhile, "lower tier" conference teams got to go bowling with

7-5 records thanks to those rules that allowed them to be selected above

teams with 6-6 records, e.g. NIU.

 

Jonathan

 

On Nov 20, 2007 1:08 PM, <szeller@comcast.net> wrote:

 

> Perhaps farfetched, but knowing how much the BT would want the revenue and

> exposure, and can wield influence, how about this scenario:

> The Big Ten office, working with the AD's, talks to some of the at-large

> bowls, and those bowls whose conference does not have bowl-eligible teams,

> and offers some of our 7-5 teams. They find interesting warm-weather spots

> for those attractive-record teams, and their fans are happy with a fun,
new,

> different spot to go to. They then fill the bottom two conference-assigned

> bowls with 6-6 NU and Iowa. All ten teams get a bowl, ten bowls get Big
Ten

> exposure and fan turnout, the Big Ten is happy, everyone is happy.
Possible?

> 

> Scott Zeller MD

> Med '86

> _______________________________________________

> nwu-sports site list

> nwu-sports@tssi.com

> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

> 

 

 

 

-- 

Jonathan W. Hodges

1237 Emerson St Apt 2

Evanston, IL  60201-3577

(847) 736-2449

jonathanwhodges@gmail.com

_______________________________________________

nwu-sports site list

nwu-sports@tssi.com

http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From bwdolphin146 at yahoo.com  Tue Nov 20 21:52:59 2007
From: bwdolphin146 at yahoo.com (Brad Wilson)
Date: Tue Nov 20 21:42:46 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] attendance
Message-ID: <991818.7699.qm@web51302.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

One simple fact: the great Bill Veeck knew that
nothing, no tricks or promotions, could make up for
winning teams.

Win and the crowds will come.

bw

"Happy are those who see beauty in the modest spots where others see nothing." -- Camille Pissaro

"Quis ipsos custodes custodiet?" -- Juvenal


      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Never miss a thing.  Make Yahoo your home page. 
http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

From bwdolphin146 at yahoo.com  Tue Nov 20 22:15:27 2007
From: bwdolphin146 at yahoo.com (Brad Wilson)
Date: Tue Nov 20 22:05:16 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] fitz for coach of the year!
Message-ID: <409500.89717.qm@web51303.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

Well, seeing how NU went 6-6 despite being the only
team without a first- or second-team All-Big 10
player, why not?

bw

"Happy are those who see beauty in the modest spots where others see nothing." -- Camille Pissaro

"Quis ipsos custodes custodiet?" -- Juvenal


      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Get easy, one-click access to your favorites. 
Make Yahoo! your homepage.
http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs 

From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Tue Nov 20 23:18:44 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Tue Nov 20 23:08:41 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] attendance
In-Reply-To: <991818.7699.qm@web51302.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
References: <991818.7699.qm@web51302.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711202118l36b946ebvde55020324e8c635@mail.gmail.com>

I was listening to some sports radio interviews today with John McDonough
who just moved over to be president of the Blackhawks from the same position
with the Cubs.  Anyways he said you can have as many conventions, gimmicks,
and talk as you want, but nothing beats winning.  And he was around while
the Cubs really gathered a huge fan base not just in this region but around
the country and have gone on to set attendance records and such (despite not
winning a pennant or title).  Obviously the college level is a little
different, but it was interesting hearing from someone who's job was
directly tied with promoting the team off the field and getting fans in the
seats.  An interesting quote was that a game is like a "long commercial" for
the team, and if people like what they see they'll come out for a game.

Jonathan

On Nov 20, 2007 9:52 PM, Brad Wilson <bwdolphin146@yahoo.com> wrote:

> One simple fact: the great Bill Veeck knew that
> nothing, no tricks or promotions, could make up for
> winning teams.
>
> Win and the crowds will come.
>
> bw
>
> "Happy are those who see beauty in the modest spots where others see
> nothing." -- Camille Pissaro
>
> "Quis ipsos custodes custodiet?" -- Juvenal
>
>
>
>  ____________________________________________________________________________________
> Never miss a thing.  Make Yahoo your home page.
> http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From tbng at comcast.net  Wed Nov 21 03:59:50 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Wed Nov 21 03:49:50 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Some Crucial Stats
References: <112020072227.11099.47435F6B000606F800002B5B2216549976090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net><001d01c82bc7$0af58d10$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
	<4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0B7A@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>
Message-ID: <001301c82c25$41c15320$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>

> I just looked through the list too and there are also none of those top 
> 100
> committed to Stanford, Vanderbilt, Duke, Rice, the ivy's or any of the 
> other
> schools that put academics ahead of football either.

First, those schools don't win often either.  In fact, they're worse than 
NU.  Second, I don't care what these schools do.  Quit using them as an 
excuse to fail.

> The kids on that top 100 list aren't interested in any of those schools
> because they are planning on a pro football career, not a career that 
> depends
> on what they learn in school.

Nonsense.  Of those 100, few will actually play in the NFL, and even fewer 
will make a lifetime living of it.  If you're good, the NFL will know it and 
give you the big contract no matter where you went to college.  I believe 
John Elway did play for Stanford.  Of this year's top 100 players, some of 
them have to be academically oriented.

> If you look compare the NU and Stanford lists, though, it looks like we 
> are
> both going for a lot of the same kids.  That's really my measure of 
> whether
> or not PF is doing a good job getting the word out.

Then your measuring stick is too short.

> The bottom line is that we don't need top 100 recruits to win.  ND gets 
> way
> more of them than we do every year and couldn't even muster a winning 
> record
> against the service academies.

Notre Dame is one example.  Have any others?  How about Michigan, Ohio 
State, LSU, Florida, USC, Texas, Auburn, etc., schools for which a four-loss 
season is a disappointment?  What is happening at Notre Dame is a recent 
mystery, not an explanation, and it sure shouldn't be an excuse for our 
failure.

> We are never going to be OSU or Michigan in this league, but we should 
> expect
> to go bowling 75% of the time (just missed it this year) and every four 
> years
> or so make a run at the BT Championship (next year should be one of those
> years).

If Northwestern had this attitude academically, it would be a junior 
college.  I cannot buy into this attitude of perpetual mediocrity.


From jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com  Wed Nov 21 08:29:32 2007
From: jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com (Jeff Beamsley)
Date: Wed Nov 21 08:19:59 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Some Crucial Stats
In-Reply-To: <001301c82c25$41c15320$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
References: <112020072227.11099.47435F6B000606F800002B5B2216549976090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net><001d01c82bc7$0af58d10$c402a8c0@DennisMachine><4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0B7A@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>
	<001301c82c25$41c15320$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
Message-ID: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0B9A@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>

Dennis,

It is difficult to argue with you sometimes because in the past I've also
posted similar comments when folks called 6-6 a winning season.  So I don't
have any problems with high expectations. 

What I do have a problem with is the suggestions that schools like
Northwestern, Stanford, etc. should CHANGE their admissions policies in order
to win more football games.  That's why Harbaugh called out Michigan.  It is
probably one of the top public academic institution in the country, yet they
encourage their players to select courses of study specifically structured to
maintain academic eligibility.  In Harbaugh's case it was history. 

I know that a disproportionate number of football players at NU major in
communications studies, but as others on this list point out that is still a
rigorous major with a good reputation in the industry.

You seem to associate this commitment to education as an excuse for losing.
I don't.

Jeff


-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of Dennis W. Brandt
Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2007 5:00 AM
To: nwu-sports@romaine.tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Some Crucial Stats

> I just looked through the list too and there are also none of those 
> top 100 committed to Stanford, Vanderbilt, Duke, Rice, the ivy's or 
> any of the other schools that put academics ahead of football either.

First, those schools don't win often either.  In fact, they're worse than NU.
Second, I don't care what these schools do.  Quit using them as an excuse to
fail.

> The kids on that top 100 list aren't interested in any of those 
> schools because they are planning on a pro football career, not a 
> career that depends on what they learn in school.

Nonsense.  Of those 100, few will actually play in the NFL, and even fewer
will make a lifetime living of it.  If you're good, the NFL will know it and
give you the big contract no matter where you went to college.  I believe
John Elway did play for Stanford.  Of this year's top 100 players, some of
them have to be academically oriented.

> If you look compare the NU and Stanford lists, though, it looks like 
> we are both going for a lot of the same kids.  That's really my 
> measure of whether or not PF is doing a good job getting the word out.

Then your measuring stick is too short.

> The bottom line is that we don't need top 100 recruits to win.  ND 
> gets way more of them than we do every year and couldn't even muster a 
> winning record against the service academies.

Notre Dame is one example.  Have any others?  How about Michigan, Ohio State,
LSU, Florida, USC, Texas, Auburn, etc., schools for which a four-loss season
is a disappointment?  What is happening at Notre Dame is a recent mystery,
not an explanation, and it sure shouldn't be an excuse for our failure.

> We are never going to be OSU or Michigan in this league, but we should 
> expect to go bowling 75% of the time (just missed it this year) and 
> every four years or so make a run at the BT Championship (next year 
> should be one of those years).

If Northwestern had this attitude academically, it would be a junior college.
I cannot buy into this attitude of perpetual mediocrity.


_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Wed Nov 21 10:09:04 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Wed Nov 21 09:59:01 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] A thought on bowling
In-Reply-To: <001601c82bec$9c316c20$6400a8c0@PC244461808863>
References: <fcb3ee270711201134k76c858c1n7270ce173af9827d@mail.gmail.com>
	<001601c82bec$9c316c20$6400a8c0@PC244461808863>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711210809x401fd0c8g329c2a427b3a6fdf@mail.gmail.com>

Final word on getting 6-6 teams into bowl games:

Per the NCAA Postseason Football Rules:

In the case of a conference contractual affiliation, all conference teams
with winning records must be placed in one of the contracted bowl games
before any institution with a record of six wins and six losses may be
placed in a contracted bowl game. There shall be no contingency agreements
with other sponsoring bowl organizations intended to enable an institution
with a record of six wins and six losses to become eligible for those
contests.

Therefore, since the Big Ten has 8 teams with winning records, even if 2 Big
Ten teams end up in BCS games there is no way either NU or Iowa will make it
to a Big Ten contractual bowl.

Here's my breakdown on if NU has a chance to get an "at large" berth, and,
basically, the conclusion is that NU does not.  Even if a "perfect storm"
occurs and all of the teams listed below lose for NU to have its best case
scenario, it would have to beat out Iowa and 2 SEC teams (as well as some
6-6 teams from lower conferences) in order to get a bowl berth, which is
unlikely.

(note this analysis is long)

Could NU @ 6-6 still make it to a bowl (updated 11/20).
Sure, it's not likely, but here's what the picture looks like right now:

Assumptions:
1. NU will not go to a bowl game over any other 6-6 BCS team (this includes
teams such as Vanderbilt).
2. NU will beat out any "lower tier" conference team that is 6-6 for a bid.

Of course, the rules that 7-5 teams must be picked ahead of 6-6 teams for
at-large bids applies.

Given that, the following teams need to lose in order to ensure that they do
not become bowl eligible and cannot be picked ahead of NU:

- Miami FL (lose to Boston College)
- Kansas St. (lose to Fresno State)
- Pittsburgh (lose to South Florida OR West Virginia)
- Louisville (lose to Rutgers)
- UCLA (lose to Oregon AND USC)
- Arizona (lose to Arizona State)
- Vanderbilt (lose to Wake Forest)
- Florida Atlantic (lose to Florida International OR Troy)
- TCU (lose to San Diego State)
- Nevada (lose to San Jose State OR Louisiana Tech)

Even with that, the SEC has 10 eligible teams, meaning that the "extras"
will most likely be selected above NU. Also, there are the other "extras"
from the Big Ten that will likely be selected above NU.

In terms of "open" slots for at-large teams, here is how that can play out:

In the BCS bowls, there are 10 slots: 6 will be filled with conference
champions, leaving 4 at-large spots. Each at large spot must be filled by a
difference conference (given the rule that limits 2 BCS spots per
conference). The Big XII is likely to get 2 spots (whether the second spot
is Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, or even Texas doesn't matter); the Pac-10 is
likely to get 2 spots; the SEC is likely to get 2 spots as well. The final
spot depends on a lot of things, we'll go into that final spot in a bit.

Here are the situations depending on how the BCS at large spot is given out.

Situation A: Illinois is selected for a BCS at large bid (meaning Hawaii
must lose against either Boise St or Washington). 3 available at-large bowl
spots. These would be filled by: Iowa, and 2 available SEC teams that have
already attained bowl eligibility. Unless NU can somehow beat out another
6-6 BCS conference school (not likely) this won't happen.

Situation B: Hawaii grabs a BCS bowl bid. 3 available at-large bowl spots.
These would be filled by: a 7-5 Big Ten school, and 2 out of the available
6-6 teams: Iowa or an SEC school.

Situation C: The ACC OR Big East fill that last BCS at-large spot. For this
to happen for the ACC, the Virginia/VT loser OR ACC championship loser
(assuming BC wins and loses in the champ. or the UVa/VT winner loses in the
champ.) must be in the top 14 and be selected for a BCS at large spot.
Alternatively, UConn can beat WVa to win their conference with WVa getting
an at large BCS bid. This would open up one more at large bowl spot, giving
4 open slots total. A 7-5 Big Ten team and Iowa plus the 2 SEC teams would
slide into those spots.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, even in a best case scenario, the only way NU makes it to a bowl
this year is if the 'Cats are somehow picked ahead of a 6-6 Iowa or SEC team
(most likely South Carolina, Alabama, or Mississippi St.). Not only is the
best case scenario not likely, but NU getting picked ahead of any of those
teams (who all have strong fan bases or have not been to a bowl in a while)
is very unlikely.

BTW, I was posting this just in case there were people clinging to hope out
there.

Also, here are a listing of the conferences and how many teams are
eligible/slots available given the NU BEST CASE scenario (all the teams
above losing as listed). This does not count the extra 4 BCS at large spots.

ACC: 8/8
Big XII: 8/8
Big East: 5/5
Big Ten: 10/7
CUSA: 6/6
Ind.: 1/1
MAC: 4/3 (1 @ 6-6)
MWC: 5/4 (1 @ 6-6)
Pac-10: 5/6
SEC: 10/8
Sun Belt: 1/1
WAC: 4/3

--
Jonathan

On Nov 20, 2007 9:14 PM, Mark Ament <prplehaze@insightbb.com> wrote:

>  6-6 teams are not allowed to go to at-large slots until all 7-5 teams
> have been taken, however, 6-6 teams ARE allowed to go to conference
> affiliated bowls even if 7-5 teams from other conferences are staying home.
> In Scott's scenario, NU could get the Motor City bid since the at-large bids
> were being filled by 7-5 teams.  It appears that both the Big 12 and Pac-10
> will not be able to fill all their slots, especially if the Big 12 gets two
> BCS bids as seems likely.
>
>
>
> The expansion of the BCS at large field to 18 seems designed to accomplish
> two things: 1) assure Boise of a bid should it beat Hawai'i this week, and
> 2) assure Illinois of a BCS bid - why I don't know - I guess it's because
> there just aren't any other options.
>
>
>
> With Big Ten bowls able to take their pick of the bottom of bowl eligible
> teams, it would appear that with some quick work by the Big Ten office, that
> Scott's scenario is workable.
>
> Mark
>
>
>
>
>
> SportsBiz ? The Business of Sports Illuminated<http://thesportsbizblog.blogspot.com/>
>
> When it comes to sports, you know it's all about
>
> the money.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
> Behalf Of Jonathan Hodges
> Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 2:35 PM
> To: szeller@comcast.net
> Cc: nwu-sports@romaine.tssi.com
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] A thought on bowling
>
>
>
> I don't think this is possible since the rules are that the bowls with
>
> conference tie-ins have first dibs at those conference teams and that the
>
> teams with winning records must be selected prior to teams with 6-6
>
> records.  Also, the NCAA rules do not allow for official agreements to be
>
> made between bowls and conferences after the start of the season (so that
>
> you don't end up with extra tie-ins to make room for those extra 6-6
> teams,
>
> which basically addresses what you're getting at).
>
>
>
> The best example as to why that wouldn't work came last year where the
>
> following BCS conference teams were left out of bowls despite having a
> "bowl
>
> eligible" 6-6 record: Kansas, Pittsburgh, Arizona, and Washington State
>
> (there were also 5 other lower tier conference teams at 6-6 that were left
>
> at home).  Meanwhile, "lower tier" conference teams got to go bowling with
>
> 7-5 records thanks to those rules that allowed them to be selected above
>
> teams with 6-6 records, e.g. NIU.
>
>
>
> Jonathan
>
>
>
> On Nov 20, 2007 1:08 PM, <szeller@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Perhaps farfetched, but knowing how much the BT would want the revenue
> and
>
> > exposure, and can wield influence, how about this scenario:
>
> > The Big Ten office, working with the AD's, talks to some of the at-large
>
> > bowls, and those bowls whose conference does not have bowl-eligible
> teams,
>
> > and offers some of our 7-5 teams. They find interesting warm-weather
> spots
>
> > for those attractive-record teams, and their fans are happy with a fun,
> new,
>
> > different spot to go to. They then fill the bottom two
> conference-assigned
>
> > bowls with 6-6 NU and Iowa. All ten teams get a bowl, ten bowls get Big
> Ten
>
> > exposure and fan turnout, the Big Ten is happy, everyone is happy.
> Possible?
>
> >
>
> > Scott Zeller MD
>
> > Med '86
>
> > _______________________________________________
>
> > nwu-sports site list
>
> > nwu-sports@tssi.com
>
> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Jonathan W. Hodges
>
> 1237 Emerson St Apt 2
>
> Evanston, IL  60201-3577
>
> (847) 736-2449
>
> jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> nwu-sports site list
>
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
>
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From rstetson at capps-assoc.com  Wed Nov 21 13:14:57 2007
From: rstetson at capps-assoc.com (Roy Lamberton)
Date: Wed Nov 21 13:04:23 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Some Crucial Stats
In-Reply-To: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0B9A@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>
References: <112020072227.11099.47435F6B000606F800002B5B2216549976090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net><001d01c82bc7$0af58d10$c402a8c0@DennisMachine><4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0B7A@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>	<001301c82c25$41c15320$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
	<4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0B9A@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>
Message-ID: <005e01c82c72$cf764e30$6e62ea90$@com>

I remember asking Randy Walker about winning half the games during a season a
couple of years before he died.

He said he was getting tired of finishing at .500 - typical Randy Walker.

Anyway, Fitz told the media guys Monday that they were evaluating all of the
position coaches to see if they could do better in his 3rd year. Not sure a few
folks will be moving on...

rsl

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate
& sometime Unix Guru....
Computer Applications & Support Associates 
==========  Go Cats -? Beat 'em All  ============
"You have a Republic Madam --
???? If you can keep it" - Benjamin Franklin
============================================
> 
> It is difficult to argue with you sometimes because in the past I've also
> posted similar comments when folks called 6-6 a winning season.  So I don't
> have any problems with high expectations. 


From WildElk2 at aol.com  Wed Nov 21 19:20:32 2007
From: WildElk2 at aol.com (WildElk2@aol.com)
Date: Wed Nov 21 19:11:18 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Some Crucial Stats
Message-ID: <bd5.1e052d7e.34763360@aol.com>

I read PF's comment on changes/what he'd do different.  There  was no 
endorsement for anyone in particular;  chances are there will be  changes.
   I want to ask a question that I asked a few days ago.   Are we any better 
than the 2-3 we posted the last 5 games in 2006?  (should  have been 3-2, but 
we melted vs. MSU)  One can argue that we had some  crucial injuries;  the 
injury to Sutton is obvious, but what got lost was  the injury to Andrew Brewer.  
He was going to be the guy who stretched the  field.  As potent as our 
offense was, no one was able to run like  Brewer.
   As I stated in my previous post, there's no question that with  Bacher 
we're better than the 2-5 turned in with Kafka and Brewer at  QB.   But with 
losing 3 OL, is it fool-hearty to think we'll be any  better than 6-6?  I thought 
the defense would be awesome this season, and  that certainly didn't happen.
 
   Parental duties call,  GO  CATS!!          Eric



**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest 
products.
(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
From tbng at comcast.net  Fri Nov 23 16:22:09 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Fri Nov 23 16:12:01 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Whatever happened to. . .
Message-ID: <000601c82e1f$49d57950$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>

Jordan Mabin, our four-star recruit at cornerback?  I can't recall once hearing his name mentioned this season.  Did he redshirt?
From rstetson at capps-assoc.com  Fri Nov 23 22:42:51 2007
From: rstetson at capps-assoc.com (Roy Lamberton)
Date: Fri Nov 23 22:31:52 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Whatever happened to. . .
In-Reply-To: <000601c82e1f$49d57950$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
References: <000601c82e1f$49d57950$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
Message-ID: <000001c82e54$78f5bbc0$6ae13340$@com>

Yes


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate
& sometime Unix Guru....
Computer Applications & Support Associates 
==========  Go Cats -? Beat 'em All  ============
"You have a Republic Madam --
???? If you can keep it" - Benjamin Franklin
============================================

> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
> Behalf Of Dennis W. Brandt
> Sent: Friday, November 23, 2007 5:22 PM
> To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
> Subject: [NU Sports] Whatever happened to. . .
> 
> Jordan Mabin, our four-star recruit at cornerback?  I can't recall once
> hearing his name mentioned this season.  Did he redshirt?
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports


From NEONRye at aol.com  Sun Nov 25 09:58:43 2007
From: NEONRye at aol.com (NEONRye@aol.com)
Date: Sun Nov 25 09:51:57 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Basketball 
Message-ID: <bc5.1e3a95da.347af5b3@aol.com>

OK, I wake up on a lazy Sunday morning, open my NY TIMES Sports Section and  
eventually look at the Scores.  And what do I see but the following  entry:  
Brown 73, Northwestern 61.  And then I check our web site  and confirm the game 
was at Welsh-Ryan, which I kind of was aware of  anyway.
 
How in the heck can this happen?  Now, we can't even beat the teams  that 
Bill Carmody took care of when he coached at Princeton?  I hate to say  it, but I 
am now ready to join the chorus of "It's time for a change at the  top."  
This is just not acceptable, given our ability to recruit vs.  Brown's 
restrictions.  Our program is now an embarrassment.
 
Paul Levinson




**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest 
products.
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From tbng at comcast.net  Sun Nov 25 12:10:56 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Sun Nov 25 12:00:33 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Basketball 
References: <bc5.1e3a95da.347af5b3@aol.com>
Message-ID: <000301c82f8e$86a10460$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>

The loss to Brown was a disgrace.  Brown is not a good basketball team.  The 
Cats played the first half as if they wanted to be in the dorm studying. 
While they played much better the second half, their typical inability to 
rebound (even though Brown doesn't have a guy over 6' 7"), the usual absence 
of an inside game, and the ever-present cold hands from the three- and 
foul-stripes cost them again.

It is time that Northwestern University either make a commitment to winning 
football and basketball teams or get them the hell out of the Big 10.  That 
starts with a new football stadium and basketball arena on campus and the 
ability to enroll a few academically marginal players who have the native 
skill to learn but who may have not attended the best high schools. 
Otherwise, we will toil in football mediocrity and basketball ignominy 
forever.  I'm not jumping on the sack Carmody bandwagon because not one 
coach we've ever had has been able to recruit even a modicum of talent to 
NU.  When we have, they have a tendency to transfer out.  This goes deeper 
than coaching.  If they began a concerted fund-raising drive for football 
and basketball, they would raise a lot of money.  There is no reason we 
cannot compete with Duke and Stanford on basketball recruiting except our 
pathetic facilities. 

From nolan at romaine.tssi.com  Sun Nov 25 12:40:24 2007
From: nolan at romaine.tssi.com (Mike Nolan)
Date: Sun Nov 25 12:40:28 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Basketball (fwd)
Message-ID: <200711251840.lAPIeOTX020029@romaine.tssi.com>

> It is time that Northwestern University either make a commitment to winning 
> football and basketball teams or get them the hell out of the Big 10.  That 
> starts with a new football stadium and basketball arena on campus and the 
> ability to enroll a few academically marginal players who have the native 
> skill to learn but who may have not attended the best high schools. 

Can you write a couple of cashable $1 million checks to get the ball started 
on those new facilities?

Personally, I believe they already make reasonable concessions, but the
kind of guy who pulls a 0.0 GPA for a full semester at well-know Texas
school doesn't belong in a Northwestern uniform, regardless of how high
he finishes in the Heisman voting.
--
Mike Nolan

From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Sun Nov 25 14:28:34 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Sun Nov 25 14:18:01 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Big Ten and the BCS ...
Message-ID: <126861.41626.qm@web52905.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

After another wild weekend of college football, I'd
say our bowl hopes got a slight boost. A couple of
thoughts, though ...

* If I were a Bucknut (shudder), I would really start
to wonder why West Virginia is getting a free pass
into the title game ahead of us. OSU has the better
loss (Illinois  looks better each week while South
Florida looks worse), better wins (Wisky, at Michigan
and at Penn State against at Cincy and home vs.
Louisville - barely - and UConn) and comes in from a
better conference. About all that WVU did was lose
earlier - but there should still be at least a
discussion about whether OSU or WVU belongs in the
title game.

* Also, I think this shows for the second straight
year that the Big Ten needs to alter its schedule (as
the Pac 10 and Big East have done) to fit in this new
title game era. Just because we don't have a title
game doesn't mean we have to stop by mid November
while other teams play until December. If the
OSU-Michigan game were this coming week, the Bucks
would have a chance to impress the voters one last
time at the end instead of being out of sight and mind
while WVU rolls it up on an overrated UConn and
pathetic Pitt. Michigan had the same fate last year
when Florida really didn't play that great of teams in
Arkansas and FSU, but were at least on TV. Plus we
wouldn't have such a long layoff for bowls.

* Of course, this is all moot if Oklahoma beats Mizzou
again and then the Buckeyes and Mountaineers can
settle it on the field in what could be a dandy of a
title game. And I think we need to all cheer for the
Sooners next week ...

Not only would it give the league another title shot,
but I think it helps our bowl hopes.

Illinois has been climbing in the polls to sneak into
BCS range with all the losses (thank you ATM!) and the
Rose would love to select them with an at-large pick
if they lose OSU (remember, the Illini couldn't go to
Pasadena the last time they won the league).

The folks in Orlando would hate losing their Zooker
Bowl matchup with the Gators, though, and they had the
Badgers last year ... maybe Lloyd's swan song would be
against Tebow the Heisman winner (ouch!)?

Dunno how much it helps us - Iowa still gets in ahead
of NU - but it increases our chances. Losses by Vandy,
Miami (FL) and K State yesterday also helped. A
Louisville loss to Rutgers on Thursday and ASU beating
Arizona on Saturday couldn't hurt either.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!


      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Get easy, one-click access to your favorites. 
Make Yahoo! your homepage.
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From tbng at comcast.net  Sun Nov 25 15:09:51 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Sun Nov 25 14:59:31 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Basketball (fwd)
References: <200711251840.lAPIeOTX020029@romaine.tssi.com>
Message-ID: <000501c82fa7$85562b80$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>

> Personally, I believe they already make reasonable concessions, but the
> kind of guy who pulls a 0.0 GPA for a full semester at well-know Texas
> school doesn't belong in a Northwestern uniform, regardless of how high
> he finishes in the Heisman voting.

RUBBISH!  It is a long way from enrolling "a few academically marginal 
players who have the native skill to learn but who may have not attended the 
best high schools" and "the kind of guy who pulls a 0.0 GPA for a full 
semester."  Don't be putting words under my fingertips.

If we want NU to be a purely academic institution like the Ivy League, then 
make the move.  But get the hell out of the Big 10.  If we want the benefits 
of the Big 10, the Northwestern administration has to stop adopting a 
standard of mediocrity it would never accept in academics.  Our major sports 
teams have to start acting like an honest-to-God member of the conference. 
There is NO excuse for our endless futility in basketball.  If Duke can be 
among the best basketball programs year after year and still graduate around 
100%, why can we not do the same thing?  Does Duke make "unreasonable 
concessions" to its basketball players?  One problem is that our facilities 
are no better than small college caliber.  It is no accident that Barnett's 
improvement of facilities increased the level of play on the football field. 
Now, it's time to take it to the next level, and that starts with a new 
field house and football stadium on campus.  There is no excuse for the top 
100 football players never giving Northwestern consideration, much less 
enrolling.  Don't tell me all those top players are bad students.  You can't 
catch the big fish with an unbaited hook.

I'll be happy to write a million-dollar check, Mr. Nolan, but it would 
bounce like a superball.  I will, however, put in my share if there is a 
specific effort.  The Fund is not that venue.  There are lots of people out 
there who can and would write big checks if the university announced a 
concerted effort to raise the level of the money sports, which in turn 
support the other sports.  I do recall the university raising something in 
the neighborhood of $1.5 billion recently, so it's possible.  As long as we 
are chained about the neck with the old oh-we-can't-do-that elitist 
mentality, then expect mediocrity.  In basketball, expect nothing.  Either 
way, we will always get what we expect. 

From nolan at romaine.tssi.com  Sun Nov 25 15:09:35 2007
From: nolan at romaine.tssi.com (Mike Nolan)
Date: Sun Nov 25 15:09:44 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Bowl eligible teams
Message-ID: <200711252109.lAPL9Zo9020687@romaine.tssi.com>

ESPN has a list of bowl-eligible teams on its website.  There are 64
bowl slots available.  70 teams currently are bowl eligible according to
ESPN, 10 of those are 6-6.  3 are 6-5 with one game left.  Another 4 are 
still on the bubble, meaning they don't have 6 wins yet. 

So it looks like a few 6-6 teams will go bowling this year.

Teams that could still wind up better than 6-6:

UCLA (6-5 with 9-2 USC to go, I heard yesterday that UCLA is not completely
    out of the Rose Bowl picture!)
Cal (6-5 with 3-8 Stanford to go)
Florida Atlantic (6-5 with 8-3 Troy to go)

Of these, I think only Cal will finish better than 6-6, though anything 
can happen in the Cal-Stanford game, as The Play proved.  That would result 
in only 61 teams with a record better than 6-6.

Teams that are currently 6-6:

Maryland, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Iowa, Northwestern, Miami (Ohio), Ohio,
Alabama, South Carolina, Louisiana-Monroe.

Teams on the bubble:

Louisville (5-6)
Arizona (5-6)
Louisiana Tech (5-6)
Nevada (5-6)

OK, so I need to pick at least 3 teams to go bowling from the 6-6 list.  
Based on conference tie-ins (see below), Colorado and Oklahoma State will 
both go to bowls, as will Maryland.  UCLA should also go to a bowl even 
if they lose to USC as expected.  Navy is 7-4 with Army left on the 
schedule, but the Middies may not get a bowl invite this year, though 
IMHO they deserve one for if only just for FINALLY beating Notre Dame.

ACC:           8 bowl-eligible teams, 8 tie-ins.  Everybody goes.
Big 12:        8 bowl-eligible teams, 8 tie-ins.  Everybody goes.
Big East:      5 bowl-eligible teams, 5 tie-ins.  Everybody goes.
Big 10:       10 bowl-eligible teams, 7 tie-ins, 2 or 3 teams stay home.
CUSA:          6 bowl-eligible teams, 6 tie-ins, everybody goes.
Independents:  Navy is 7-4, but may stay home.
Mid-American:  5 bowl-eligible teams, 3 tie-ins.  Miami and Ohio stay home.
Mountain West: 5 bowl-eligible teams, 4 tie-ins, TCU will stay home. 
Pac 10:        6 bowl-eligible teams, 6 tie-ins, everybody goes.
SEC:          10 bowl-eligible teams, 8 tie-ins, South Carolina and Alabama may
                 stay home, but I suspect one of them will get an 
                 invitation to a bowl somewhere in the South, probably 
                 South Carolina, though Alabama might be picked as a 
                 better draw.
Sun Belt:      3 bowl-eligible teams, 1 tie-in, only Troy goes.
WAC:           3 bowl-eligible teams, 3 tie-ins.  Hawaii may get a BCS 
                 bid (unless they stumble against Washington), which means 
                 the winner of the Louisiana Tech - Nevada game could go 
                 to a bowl game.

So, Northwestern's and Iowa's chances are pretty much nil even if Ohio
State gets to the NC game, which may seem unlikely but stranger things have
already happened this season.
--
Mike Nolan

From johnadeg at comcast.net  Sun Nov 25 15:38:53 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Sun Nov 25 15:28:28 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Basketball (fwd)
Message-ID: <112520072138.26540.4749EB6D0006E5E2000067AC2216557996090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

If the Ryans aren't embarrasses by what goes on in a facility with their names on it, who is really going to care.

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Dennis W. Brandt" <tbng@comcast.net>
> > Personally, I believe they already make reasonable concessions, but the
> > kind of guy who pulls a 0.0 GPA for a full semester at well-know Texas
> > school doesn't belong in a Northwestern uniform, regardless of how high
> > he finishes in the Heisman voting.
> 
> RUBBISH!  It is a long way from enrolling "a few academically marginal 
> players who have the native skill to learn but who may have not attended the 
> best high schools" and "the kind of guy who pulls a 0.0 GPA for a full 
> semester."  Don't be putting words under my fingertips.
> 
> If we want NU to be a purely academic institution like the Ivy League, then 
> make the move.  But get the hell out of the Big 10.  If we want the benefits 
> of the Big 10, the Northwestern administration has to stop adopting a 
> standard of mediocrity it would never accept in academics.  Our major sports 
> teams have to start acting like an honest-to-God member of the conference. 
> There is NO excuse for our endless futility in basketball.  If Duke can be 
> among the best basketball programs year after year and still graduate around 
> 100%, why can we not do the same thing?  Does Duke make "unreasonable 
> concessions" to its basketball players?  One problem is that our facilities 
> are no better than small college caliber.  It is no accident that Barnett's 
> improvement of facilities increased the level of play on the football field. 
> Now, it's time to take it to the next level, and that starts with a new 
> field house and football stadium on campus.  There is no excuse for the top 
> 100 football players never giving Northwestern consideration, much less 
> enrolling.  Don't tell me all those top players are bad students.  You can't 
> catch the big fish with an unbaited hook.
> 
> I'll be happy to write a million-dollar check, Mr. Nolan, but it would 
> bounce like a superball.  I will, however, put in my share if there is a 
> specific effort.  The Fund is not that venue.  There are lots of people out 
> there who can and would write big checks if the university announced a 
> concerted effort to raise the level of the money sports, which in turn 
> support the other sports.  I do recall the university raising something in 
> the neighborhood of $1.5 billion recently, so it's possible.  As long as we 
> are chained about the neck with the old oh-we-can't-do-that elitist 
> mentality, then expect mediocrity.  In basketball, expect nothing.  Either 
> way, we will always get what we expect. 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From Hakirsch at aol.com  Sun Nov 25 15:38:18 2007
From: Hakirsch at aol.com (Hakirsch@aol.com)
Date: Sun Nov 25 15:35:43 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Bowl eligible teams
Message-ID: <cea.21944412.347b454a@aol.com>

Thanks for the review , interesting  !

Harry


**************************************
Check out AOL's list of 2007's 
hottest products.

(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
From thehaze at earthlink.net  Sun Nov 25 18:12:56 2007
From: thehaze at earthlink.net (Jim Bendat)
Date: Sun Nov 25 18:02:19 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Bowl eligible teams
In-Reply-To: <200711252109.lAPL9Zo9020687@romaine.tssi.com>
References: <200711252109.lAPL9Zo9020687@romaine.tssi.com>
Message-ID: <474A0F88.6050205@earthlink.net>

Navy has already committed to the Poinsettia Bowl.

http://www.poinsettiabowl.net/news/navy-to-play-in-3rd-san-diego-county-credit-union-poinsettia-bowl.html

Mike Nolan wrote:
> Navy is 7-4 with Army left on the 
> schedule, but the Middies may not get a bowl invite this year

From nolan at romaine.tssi.com  Sun Nov 25 18:24:37 2007
From: nolan at romaine.tssi.com (Mike Nolan)
Date: Sun Nov 25 18:24:41 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Bowl eligible teams
Message-ID: <200711260024.lAQ0Ob9b022031@romaine.tssi.com>

> Navy has already committed to the Poinsettia Bowl.
> 
> http://www.poinsettiabowl.net/news/navy-to-play-in-3rd-san-diego-county-credit-union-poinsettia-bowl.html

I'm very happy for them, they've earned it.

That may affect the non-BCS conferences more than the BCS conferences, 
though it may sink completely any chance of a 9th Big 10 team going 
unless OSU gets into the NC game, and possibly not even then, 
because we may not get 2 BCS slots.  If the Rose Bowl loses OSU 
and thus gets pick of the litter, would they look towards Hawaii's fan base
instead of Illinois (#15 on the latest BCS list?)
--
Mike Nolan

From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Sun Nov 25 20:39:07 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Sun Nov 25 20:28:45 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Basketball
In-Reply-To: <bc5.1e3a95da.347af5b3@aol.com>
References: <bc5.1e3a95da.347af5b3@aol.com>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711251839k14eb5f02n93377d57dffcb87f@mail.gmail.com>

For one, NU's best basketball player, Coble (who also happens to be NU's
best "inside" player - which is a bit of a misnomer for the Princeton
offense - but he is the 'Cats' best player with some height) is out and will
be out indefinitely in order to help out at home with his mother, who is
dealing with a medical condition.  Despite being young himself, he also
provides some on the court leadership and experience for Northwestern, which
is lacking in that area.  I expect that NU's basketball results this season
may have looked much different if he was in - NU lost to a ranked Stanford
team in a game that was closer than the final score (NU was within 6 with
only minutes left in the game despite watching Stanford score at will on the
inside and outrebound them by leaps and bounds), they lost on a go ahead
shot with seconds remaining against Depaul, and, of course, the ugly Brown
loss where NU was within 1 with 30 seconds left in the game.

Secondly, what you see year in and year out is a result of the Princeton
offense and the types of players that come in to play under Carmody:
- The Princeton offense relies on the outside shooters, especially when
facing tough defenses (particularly those that play zone and make it
difficult to get those under the basket cuts).  Unfortunately even the best
shooters can't hit every 3 pointer or long distance 2, and although NU has
had some decent shooters there hasn't been any amazing perimeter shooter
come through that can consistently hit all of those outside shots.
- The system also lends itself to being outrebounded since the offensive
players are typically spread out all over the court, therefore severely
limiting the ability to grab offensive rebounds.
- NU hasn't been able to bring in any "big man" to play the middle, leading
to another reason for the 'Cats to lose the rebound battle - some of this
may be due to the system (since it utilizes more perimeter shooting and
mismatches in the middle than a traditional pass it in and let the big guy
work offense) - and some is due to guys that just haven't panned out
(transfers, injuries, and guys not playing up to potential).
- Northwestern hasn't been able to bring in any amazingly talented player
who can carry the team - not to knock any of the hard working and talented
guys on the court, some of whom did an amazing job with what they had to
work with (I'm thinking of guys like Jitim Young and Vedran Vukusic) - but
in basketball more than almost any other team sport one guy can make a huge
difference (see the first paragraph about NU's 3 losses this year and how
the loss of Coble has made a big difference).

The fact is that the Princeton offense is a known quantity - it can put NU
at a mediocre level and give it a few big upsets any given year, but it has
never been able to propel NU to the top of the league given the level of
talent NU has and the competition NU has to face every year.  I don't take
much credence in recruiting and the recruit rankings, but the fact is that
NU hasn't been able to pull in a big time talent in order to help carry the
team - and often has had to resort in going overseas to find players (not a
bad strategy if they pan out - but only one has made a significant impact:
Vukusic) or giving a scholarship to walk-ons.  Not to shoot down any current
or former players - I've seen them give it their all out there and pull off
some impressive victories and upsets - but I agree with the fact that the
talent level needs to increase in order for NU basketball to be successful.

Regarding the facilities: I don't think building a new arena would suddenly
solve NU's basketball woes, and I am completely against it - plus I don't
see money coming out of nowhere to fund this.  NU has been successful in its
academic fund raising (including the $1.5B+ building campaign a few years
back) but without success in basketball it will be tough to build a brand
new arena.  I do think that some improvements in the existing Welsh-Ryan
arena would be welcomed, but it is a more than serviceable facility.

Regarding the call to build a brand new football stadium - that is
completely ludicrous.  Ryan Field is in relatively good shape has obviously
had a lot of money funneled into improvements over the past few years.  Sure
there are some more improvements that could be made (I've called for a few
basic ones), but building a new stadium would be just plain dumb given the
cost for a new one and the fact that the current one is more than
sufficient.

I have full confidence in the current athletic leadership - starting with AD
Murphy.  The long term goal should be to be around .500 every year in both
basketball and football, and to make a run at a conference title every 4-5
years.  Short term - NU needs to get to the men's bball tourney (a tall
order this year), and football needs to get back to a bowl game (and with
next year's talent make some noise in the conference).  Northwestern will
never be a football/basketball factory, nor should it be.  It should embrace
what makes it unique and recruit players who can fit into the school
academically and be developed on the field during their collegiate career.
If an amazing talent comes along that can fit into the ideals of the school
then get them in.

What I never want to see is NU pushing academics or integrity under the rug
to get highly rated players in for football and/or basketball.  I want to
see NU athletics be successful year in and year out, but I know that NU will
never be a "semi-pro" type of school you see out of others in the Big Ten or
around the country - if you want to see that then go elsewhere.  What we'll
see is a competitive program that can break out every few years, but
generally will have to work to be successful.  I believe NU football has
continued to be competitive in the conference, with an obvious setback after
the loss of Walker; and the basketball team has regressed in the past couple
years after a quasi-successful run (obviously they still haven't made the
tourney, though).  I think football is heading in the right direction;
basketball (which I admittedly know less about) seems to be stuck in a rut,
but Carmody has been one of the most successful men's bball coaches in NU
history.

Anyways I hope that Murphy leads the way by making some well-thought-out
decisions that keep the long-term in mind, especially regarding staffing
positions.  I never want to see NU turn into a school that fires its head
coaches every 3 years and goes outside the bounds to get highly rated
recruits in.  Whatever happens, though, I'll remain a Wildcat fan - just as
I would expect everyone on this board to do.

Jonathan


On Nov 25, 2007 9:58 AM, <NEONRye@aol.com> wrote:

> OK, I wake up on a lazy Sunday morning, open my NY TIMES Sports Section
> and
> eventually look at the Scores.  And what do I see but the following
>  entry:
> Brown 73, Northwestern 61.  And then I check our web site  and confirm the
> game
> was at Welsh-Ryan, which I kind of was aware of  anyway.
>
> How in the heck can this happen?  Now, we can't even beat the teams  that
> Bill Carmody took care of when he coached at Princeton?  I hate to say
>  it, but I
> am now ready to join the chorus of "It's time for a change at the  top."
> This is just not acceptable, given our ability to recruit vs.  Brown's
> restrictions.  Our program is now an embarrassment.
>
> Paul Levinson
>
>
>
>
> **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's
> hottest
> products.
> (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Sun Nov 25 20:54:44 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Sun Nov 25 20:44:19 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Bowl eligible teams
In-Reply-To: <200711260024.lAQ0Ob9b022031@romaine.tssi.com>
References: <200711260024.lAQ0Ob9b022031@romaine.tssi.com>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711251854n60023d5fg8e047c574f49768e@mail.gmail.com>

If Hawaii loses, it's almost guaranteed that Illinois will get into a BCS
bowl, thereby bumping everyone "up" a spot and guaranteeing all Big Ten
teams with winning records a spot in a bowl.

Anyways, the best case scenario for NU would be if Hawaii does lose, giving
the Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and Pac-10 an extra "at-large" BCS spot - which
would open up 2 "at-large" bowl bids (Texas Bowl's Big 12 spot and Bell
Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl's Pac-10 spot), assuming a few more things
happen, and would leave room for at least one 6-6 "at-large" bid to be
handed out.  Here's what would have to happen:

Arizona (5-6) loses to Arizona State
Hawaii (11-0) loses to Washington
Florida Atlantic (6-5) loses to Troy
Miami (OH) (6-6) loses to Central Michigan in the MAC Championship

If any of these teams wins, it will essentially close up one available spot.

If the best case scenario does happen, there will be 2 available spots, with
the following teams in competition for the spot (7-5 teams get in ahead of
6-6 teams per the bowl eligibility rules):

Iowa (6-6)
Northwestern (6-6)
Ohio (6-6)
TCU (7-5)
Alabama (6-6) OR South Carolina (6-6)
Florida Atlantic (6-6, if they lose)
Louisiana-Monroe (6-6)
Louisiana Tech OR Nevada (6-6)
Louisville (6-6 if they beat Rutgers)

So, best case scenario - NU would have to "beat out" Iowa, Alabama/South
Carolina, (potentially) Louisville, and some mid-majors in order to get a
bowl berth - a tall order but still theoretically possible.  Anyways we'll
see what the last weekend in the "year of the upset" brings.

Jonathan

On Nov 25, 2007 6:24 PM, Mike Nolan <nolan@romaine.tssi.com> wrote:

> > Navy has already committed to the Poinsettia Bowl.
> >
> >
> http://www.poinsettiabowl.net/news/navy-to-play-in-3rd-san-diego-county-credit-union-poinsettia-bowl.html
>
> I'm very happy for them, they've earned it.
>
> That may affect the non-BCS conferences more than the BCS conferences,
> though it may sink completely any chance of a 9th Big 10 team going
> unless OSU gets into the NC game, and possibly not even then,
> because we may not get 2 BCS slots.  If the Rose Bowl loses OSU
> and thus gets pick of the litter, would they look towards Hawaii's fan
> base
> instead of Illinois (#15 on the latest BCS list?)
> --
> Mike Nolan
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Sun Nov 25 22:51:27 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Sun Nov 25 22:40:53 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Basketball (fwd)
In-Reply-To: <000501c82fa7$85562b80$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
Message-ID: <596510.58109.qm@web52905.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

Why pull out of the league?

NU is more than competing in football over the past
10-15 years and excelling in most other sports.

Basketball seems to be the exception, not the rule, at
this time.

I appreciate the hardcourt frustration, and an
on-campus hoops facility would be nice ... but there's
no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater and
withdraw from the league or lower our standards.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!


      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Get easy, one-click access to your favorites. 
Make Yahoo! your homepage.
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From Hakirsch at aol.com  Sun Nov 25 23:15:35 2007
From: Hakirsch at aol.com (Hakirsch@aol.com)
Date: Sun Nov 25 23:06:10 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Basketball (fwd)
Message-ID: <ceb.22626a53.347bb077@aol.com>

In a message dated 11/25/2007 8:52:06 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
sjtruog@yahoo.com writes:

> I appreciate the hardcourt frustration, and an
> on-campus hoops facility would be nice ... but there's
> no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater and
> withdraw from the league or lower our standards.
> 
> 

I can't imagine this is even being considered,--The last time I think there 
was any serious move afoot to drop out of the BT was during the Strotz years in 
the 70's --(and maybe with good reason, given how little NU cared about 
athletics then)  --NU will be getting a new president fairly soon and it wil be 
intersting to see what his or her feelings will be on our overall athletic 
program--After all it was Arnold Webber --(Strotz' successor) who brought in Gary 
Barnett

Harry


**************************************
Check out AOL's list of 2007's 
hottest products.

(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
From tbng at comcast.net  Mon Nov 26 06:38:44 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Mon Nov 26 06:28:22 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Basketball
References: <bc5.1e3a95da.347af5b3@aol.com>
	<fcb3ee270711251839k14eb5f02n93377d57dffcb87f@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <001901c83029$489b7880$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>

>From Jonathan Hodges

> For one, NU's best basketball player, Coble. . .  is out

Coble is a rather talented player but hardly good enough to carry the team. 
Bring in the next
Wilt Chamberlain and you can make that statement.

> What you see year in and year out is a result of the Princeton
> offense. . . The Princeton offense relies on the outside shooters
> The system also lends itself to being outrebounded. . .
> The fact is that the Princeton offense. . . can put NU at a mediocre level
> and give it a few big upsets any given year, but it has never been able to
> propel NU to the top of the league given the level of talent NU has.

That NU uses a Princeton-style offense because it lacks talent is PRECISELY 
my point.
Give Carmody talent, and the pure Princeton approach will go the way of the 
dodo.
The question is why we continuously fail to bring in talent when other 
academically-
oriented schools do an excellent job.  Compare Cameron Indoor Stadium to 
Welsh-Ryan,
and you'll have one answer.  You don't think a new basketball arena would 
work?
Then what do you suggest will?  Don't say coaching.  Not one coach in the 
school's
history has been able to recruit.  The reasons are surely deeper than that. 
Perhaps
it's because Welsh-Ryan looks little different than it did my freshman year 
43 years
ago when we called it McGaw Hall.  Back then, it was a typical arena.  It 
long ago
lost any luster.

> Regarding the facilities: I don't think building a new arena would 
> suddenly
> solve NU's basketball woes, and I am completely against it. . .
> some improvements in the existing Welsh-Ryan arena would be welcomed,
> but it is a more than serviceable facility.  Regarding the call to build a 
> brand
> new football stadium - that is completely ludicrous.  Ryan Field is in 
> relatively
> good shape. . .Building a new stadium would be just plain dumb given the 
> cost
> for a new one and the fact that the current one is more than sufficient. . 
> .What I never
> want to see is NU pushing academics or integrity under the rug to get 
> highly rated
>  players in for football and/or basketball.

You sound like my grandmother.  Her philosophy was to "make do," 
understandable
since she was reared in a poor family and then struggled to rear 10 kids 
herself.  To her,
a successful day was seeing the sun come up again.  She had neither time nor 
basis for
grand thoughts and long-range plans.  What's Northwestern's excuse? 
Maintain
second-class facilities, and you get second-class athletes.  And we do.  It 
is you
who used "suddenly."  I did not.  I'm talking about a long-range 
committment.

> I know that NU will never be a "semi-pro" type of school. . .  What we'll
> see is a competitive program that can break out every few years, but
> generally will have to work to be successful.  I believe NU football has
> continued to be competitive in the conference, with an obvious setback 
> after
> the loss of Walker; and the basketball team has regressed in the past 
> couple years.

I don't recall that Barnett's slogan was "Expect competitiveness."  That's 
like
graduating from Kellogg with the goal of becoming a stringer on a rural 
newspaper.
Set the bar low, and your only skill be doing the limbo with the resulting 
back ailments
as you age.  It is a loser's mentality that no Northwestern graduate should 
be proud
to call his own.

> I never want to see NU turn into a school that fires its head  coaches 
> every 3
> years and goes outside the bounds to get highly rated recruits in.

Your words, not mine.  I don't want the men's basketball program to continue 
in
endless futility.  In football, I want to reach the point where we no longer 
manufacture
special tee-shirts when we finally defeat an opponent we haven't beaten in 
three decades
because we have a 50-50 chance of kicking Ohio State's ass every season. 
The spirit
of '95 has to transform itself into new action for the future. 

From mlinhardt at netzero.net  Mon Nov 26 08:10:53 2007
From: mlinhardt at netzero.net (mlinhardt@netzero.net)
Date: Mon Nov 26 08:02:18 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
Message-ID: <20071126.081053.18224.2@webmail11.dca.untd.com>

We have commented to Murphy on multiple occasions about the traffic control.  This year we saw multiple Evanston cops doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING while Northwestern was footing their overtime hours.

We should DUMP Evanston police and pick up state, Wilmette, Skokie, or anybody who would make an effort at traffic control.  Year after year the Evanston cops do an EXTREMELY poor job.

If you guessed this is my hot button topic and one I bend Murphy's ear every chance we get.

I personally don't like night games(I get up very early), but we should be able to negotiate with ABC/ESPN for some noon or 1pm kicks.  2:30pm interferes with dinner as we are not home until 7:30 and don't get a chance to wind down before going out to eat.

-- CHerron604@aol.com wrote:
<snip>
Traffic is an endless nightmare - McCormick Blvd has been torn up for a  long time, the Edens Expressway is (and will be) torn up for a long time, the  Tri-State Tollway has been torn up for a long time (ironically, to put in  high-speed oper road toll stations).  
 
As someone who has been to a lot of our games at Michigan, I marvel at how  easily they can park and seat 106,000 people, and how hard it is for us to park  and seat 42,000.  And leaving the Michigan parking lots is almost always a  good experience (including the many streets converted to one-way traffic  only).
 

_____________________________________________________________
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From jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com  Mon Nov 26 08:48:34 2007
From: jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com (Jeff Beamsley)
Date: Mon Nov 26 08:38:55 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
In-Reply-To: <20071126.081053.18224.2@webmail11.dca.untd.com>
References: <20071126.081053.18224.2@webmail11.dca.untd.com>
Message-ID: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0C61@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>

UoM does have a good system setup to empty to stadium.  It works because they
make it very difficult to make any other choices.  If you do choose to head
off into the neighborhoods or head back into town, a ten minute drive can
take an hour or more.

NU create similar sorts of risk/reward routes making central primarily
westbound to at least ridge, but as you've noted, that would require active
participation by the local police.  

It all gets back to attitude.  AA is happy to see 100K folks in the Big House
and wants them all to come back.  Evanston sees the people and traffic as an
imposition and would prefer that the football team and the University would
just go away.  They would make a lot more money turning the campus into parks
and condos and wouldn't have to deal with gauche football fans disrupting
their beautiful fall Saturdays.

Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of mlinhardt@netzero.net
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2007 9:11 AM
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Cc: Maureen.Linhardt@plexus.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Attendance

We have commented to Murphy on multiple occasions about the traffic control.
This year we saw multiple Evanston cops doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING while
Northwestern was footing their overtime hours.

We should DUMP Evanston police and pick up state, Wilmette, Skokie, or
anybody who would make an effort at traffic control.  Year after year the
Evanston cops do an EXTREMELY poor job.

If you guessed this is my hot button topic and one I bend Murphy's ear every
chance we get.

I personally don't like night games(I get up very early), but we should be
able to negotiate with ABC/ESPN for some noon or 1pm kicks.  2:30pm
interferes with dinner as we are not home until 7:30 and don't get a chance
to wind down before going out to eat.

-- CHerron604@aol.com wrote:
<snip>
Traffic is an endless nightmare - McCormick Blvd has been torn up for a  long
time, the Edens Expressway is (and will be) torn up for a long time, the
Tri-State Tollway has been torn up for a long time (ironically, to put in
high-speed oper road toll stations).  
 
As someone who has been to a lot of our games at Michigan, I marvel at how
easily they can park and seat 106,000 people, and how hard it is for us to
park  and seat 42,000.  And leaving the Michigan parking lots is almost
always a  good experience (including the many streets converted to one-way
traffic  only).
 

_____________________________________________________________
Save hundreds on getting a Web Design Degree. Click here.
http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2211/fc/Ioyw6ijncQT6tat6HEFHzICu4gJx72
DT2z0GR22dPZNLaT3TSStRRl/



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nwu-sports@tssi.com
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From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Mon Nov 26 09:16:21 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Mon Nov 26 09:06:00 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Attendance
In-Reply-To: <20071126.081053.18224.2@webmail11.dca.untd.com>
References: <20071126.081053.18224.2@webmail11.dca.untd.com>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711260716v634b272as1feb3c9c0f28a895@mail.gmail.com>

I agree that traffic control is lacking, and coupled with the lack of
parking within a easy walking proximity of the stadium it makes getting to
the game that much more difficult.  I think that with some more coordination
between traffic control and shuttles things could get better - although
additional parking by the stadium would make it much better (although
Evanston hates parking garages more than night football games so we'll see
if that is ever considered).

Regarding game time, there is absolutely NOTHING NU can do to get out of the
11AM/2:30PM/night game cycle.  The Big Ten and ESPN/ABC have agreed upon the
11AM/2:30PM/night times in order to benefit the conference by placing games
at key times (the 11AM CT time slot is usually dominated by Big Ten games)
and avoiding conflicts (ABC/ESPN and the conference would be severely
limited with game placement if they went to starts outside of the current
time slots).  I much prefer the current plan where EVERY conference home
game is on TV - many on ESPN/ABC and the rest on the BTN (hopefully they'll
get cable distribution worked out by the time next football season rolls
around) than 1PM games that are radio only (or internet radio only if the
Cubs are playing an afternoon game).

Obviously more 2:30 or night starts would bring in more fans (particularly
students) but NU has to work with the position that its in - and the
conference dictates the starting time due to its TV contracts.  The best NU
can do is win more games which would put itself in position for more late
starts.

Jonathan

On Nov 26, 2007 8:10 AM, mlinhardt@netzero.net <mlinhardt@netzero.net>
wrote:

> We have commented to Murphy on multiple occasions about the traffic
> control.  This year we saw multiple Evanston cops doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING
> while Northwestern was footing their overtime hours.
>
> We should DUMP Evanston police and pick up state, Wilmette, Skokie, or
> anybody who would make an effort at traffic control.  Year after year the
> Evanston cops do an EXTREMELY poor job.
>
> If you guessed this is my hot button topic and one I bend Murphy's ear
> every chance we get.
>
> I personally don't like night games(I get up very early), but we should be
> able to negotiate with ABC/ESPN for some noon or 1pm kicks.  2:30pm
> interferes with dinner as we are not home until 7:30 and don't get a chance
> to wind down before going out to eat.
>
> -- CHerron604@aol.com wrote:
> <snip>
> Traffic is an endless nightmare - McCormick Blvd has been torn up for a
>  long time, the Edens Expressway is (and will be) torn up for a long time,
> the  Tri-State Tollway has been torn up for a long time (ironically, to put
> in  high-speed oper road toll stations).
>
> As someone who has been to a lot of our games at Michigan, I marvel at how
>  easily they can park and seat 106,000 people, and how hard it is for us to
> park  and seat 42,000.  And leaving the Michigan parking lots is almost
> always a  good experience (including the many streets converted to one-way
> traffic  only).
>
>
> _____________________________________________________________
> Save hundreds on getting a Web Design Degree. Click here.
>
> http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2211/fc/Ioyw6ijncQT6tat6HEFHzICu4gJx72DT2z0GR22dPZNLaT3TSStRRl/
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From dennisgaub at qwest.net  Mon Nov 26 05:58:20 2007
From: dennisgaub at qwest.net (Dennis Gaub)
Date: Mon Nov 26 14:31:39 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
In-Reply-To: <200711261000.lAQA03vo024564@romaine.tssi.com>
Message-ID: <000101c83023$a3b277b0$0302a8c0@DesktopPC>

Does anyone really want our Cats to sneak into a bowl this year -- and lose
again? Sure, we might have an advantage on paper, but that pathetic loss to
Duke plus our chokes against Purdue and Iowa just leave a bad taste in my
mouth for the 2007 season. Let's save our energy for next year.

Dennis 

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of nwu-sports-request@tssi.com
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2007 3:00 AM
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340

Send nwu-sports mailing list submissions to
	nwu-sports@tssi.com

To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
	http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
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When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than
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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: Bowl eligible teams (Jonathan Hodges)
   2. Re: Basketball (fwd) (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
   3. Re: Basketball (fwd) (Hakirsch@aol.com)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:54:44 -0600
From: "Jonathan Hodges" <jonathanwhodges@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Bowl eligible teams
To: "Mike Nolan" <nolan@romaine.tssi.com>
Cc: nwu-sports@romaine.tssi.com
Message-ID:
	<fcb3ee270711251854n60023d5fg8e047c574f49768e@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

If Hawaii loses, it's almost guaranteed that Illinois will get into a BCS
bowl, thereby bumping everyone "up" a spot and guaranteeing all Big Ten
teams with winning records a spot in a bowl.

Anyways, the best case scenario for NU would be if Hawaii does lose, giving
the Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and Pac-10 an extra "at-large" BCS spot - which
would open up 2 "at-large" bowl bids (Texas Bowl's Big 12 spot and Bell
Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl's Pac-10 spot), assuming a few more things
happen, and would leave room for at least one 6-6 "at-large" bid to be
handed out.  Here's what would have to happen:

Arizona (5-6) loses to Arizona State
Hawaii (11-0) loses to Washington
Florida Atlantic (6-5) loses to Troy
Miami (OH) (6-6) loses to Central Michigan in the MAC Championship

If any of these teams wins, it will essentially close up one available spot.

If the best case scenario does happen, there will be 2 available spots, with
the following teams in competition for the spot (7-5 teams get in ahead of
6-6 teams per the bowl eligibility rules):

Iowa (6-6)
Northwestern (6-6)
Ohio (6-6)
TCU (7-5)
Alabama (6-6) OR South Carolina (6-6)
Florida Atlantic (6-6, if they lose)
Louisiana-Monroe (6-6)
Louisiana Tech OR Nevada (6-6)
Louisville (6-6 if they beat Rutgers)

So, best case scenario - NU would have to "beat out" Iowa, Alabama/South
Carolina, (potentially) Louisville, and some mid-majors in order to get a
bowl berth - a tall order but still theoretically possible.  Anyways we'll
see what the last weekend in the "year of the upset" brings.

Jonathan

On Nov 25, 2007 6:24 PM, Mike Nolan <nolan@romaine.tssi.com> wrote:

> > Navy has already committed to the Poinsettia Bowl.
> >
> >
> http://www.poinsettiabowl.net/news/navy-to-play-in-3rd-san-diego-count
> y-credit-union-poinsettia-bowl.html
>
> I'm very happy for them, they've earned it.
>
> That may affect the non-BCS conferences more than the BCS conferences, 
> though it may sink completely any chance of a 9th Big 10 team going 
> unless OSU gets into the NC game, and possibly not even then, because 
> we may not get 2 BCS slots.  If the Rose Bowl loses OSU and thus gets 
> pick of the litter, would they look towards Hawaii's fan base instead 
> of Illinois (#15 on the latest BCS list?)
> --
> Mike Nolan
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



--
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com


------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:51:27 -0800 (PST)
From: "SjT \(Stephen J. Truog\)" <sjtruog@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Basketball (fwd)
To: "Dennis W. Brandt" <tbng@comcast.net>, nwu-sports@romaine.tssi.com
Message-ID: <596510.58109.qm@web52905.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Why pull out of the league?

NU is more than competing in football over the past
10-15 years and excelling in most other sports.

Basketball seems to be the exception, not the rule, at
this time.

I appreciate the hardcourt frustration, and an
on-campus hoops facility would be nice ... but there's
no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater and
withdraw from the league or lower our standards.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!


 
____________________________________________________________________________
________
Get easy, one-click access to your favorites. 
Make Yahoo! your homepage.
http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs 



------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:15:35 EST
From: Hakirsch@aol.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Basketball (fwd)
To: sjtruog@yahoo.com, nwu-sports@tssi.com
Message-ID: <ceb.22626a53.347bb077@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 11/25/2007 8:52:06 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
sjtruog@yahoo.com writes:

> I appreciate the hardcourt frustration, and an
> on-campus hoops facility would be nice ... but there's
> no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater and
> withdraw from the league or lower our standards.
> 
> 

I can't imagine this is even being considered,--The last time I think there 
was any serious move afoot to drop out of the BT was during the Strotz years
in 
the 70's --(and maybe with good reason, given how little NU cared about 
athletics then)  --NU will be getting a new president fairly soon and it wil
be 
intersting to see what his or her feelings will be on our overall athletic 
program--After all it was Arnold Webber --(Strotz' successor) who brought in
Gary 
Barnett

Harry


**************************************
Check out AOL's list of 2007's 
hottest products.

(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)


------------------------------

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End of nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
******************************************



From MHRJGScott at aol.com  Mon Nov 26 14:40:15 2007
From: MHRJGScott at aol.com (MHRJGScott@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 26 14:33:32 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Duke fires football coach Ted Roof 
Message-ID: <c63.1f026c2e.347c892f@aol.com>

two days after the Blue Devils concluded a 1-11 season with their  ninth 
straight loss. After snapping a 22-game losing streak with a victory at  
Northwestern, the Blue Devils lost nine straight to end this season. 
Another painful NU sports moment.



**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest 
products.
(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
From Willie.Weinbaum at espn.com  Mon Nov 26 14:52:13 2007
From: Willie.Weinbaum at espn.com (Weinbaum, Willie)
Date: Mon Nov 26 14:42:13 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Roof caves
In-Reply-To: <000101c83023$a3b277b0$0302a8c0@DesktopPC>
References: <200711261000.lAQA03vo024564@romaine.tssi.com>
	<000101c83023$a3b277b0$0302a8c0@DesktopPC>
Message-ID: <EBEB58980DB31543B690E276B97F69560699E212@XCHGNYM2.corp.espn.pvt>

Despite its victory over the Wildcats, Duke today fired head football
coach Ted Roof after a 1-11 season and nine straight losses to conclude
his tenure.  The Blue Devils had lost 10 or more games the last three
seasons, including a winless 2006. 


From Alan.Abrahamson at nbcsports.com  Mon Nov 26 14:57:26 2007
From: Alan.Abrahamson at nbcsports.com (Abrahamson, Alan (NBC Universal))
Date: Mon Nov 26 14:48:06 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
In-Reply-To: <000101c83023$a3b277b0$0302a8c0@DesktopPC>
References: <200711261000.lAQA03vo024564@romaine.tssi.com>
	<000101c83023$a3b277b0$0302a8c0@DesktopPC>
Message-ID: <33C4F11DF8639640A51C79CB484166FF031D26FC@RKFMLVEM02.e2k.ad.ge.com>

Yes. I want the Cats to "sneak" into a bowl.
And I would, um, expect victory. 

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com]
On Behalf Of Dennis Gaub
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2007 3:58 AM
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340

Does anyone really want our Cats to sneak into a bowl this year -- and
lose again? Sure, we might have an advantage on paper, but that pathetic
loss to Duke plus our chokes against Purdue and Iowa just leave a bad
taste in my mouth for the 2007 season. Let's save our energy for next
year.

Dennis 

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com]
On Behalf Of nwu-sports-request@tssi.com
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2007 3:00 AM
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340

Send nwu-sports mailing list submissions to
	nwu-sports@tssi.com

To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
	http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
	nwu-sports-request@tssi.com

You can reach the person managing the list at
	nwu-sports-owner@tssi.com

When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than
"Re: Contents of nwu-sports digest..."


Today's Topics:

   1. Re: Bowl eligible teams (Jonathan Hodges)
   2. Re: Basketball (fwd) (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
   3. Re: Basketball (fwd) (Hakirsch@aol.com)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:54:44 -0600
From: "Jonathan Hodges" <jonathanwhodges@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Bowl eligible teams
To: "Mike Nolan" <nolan@romaine.tssi.com>
Cc: nwu-sports@romaine.tssi.com
Message-ID:
	<fcb3ee270711251854n60023d5fg8e047c574f49768e@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

If Hawaii loses, it's almost guaranteed that Illinois will get into a
BCS bowl, thereby bumping everyone "up" a spot and guaranteeing all Big
Ten teams with winning records a spot in a bowl.

Anyways, the best case scenario for NU would be if Hawaii does lose,
giving the Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and Pac-10 an extra "at-large" BCS spot
- which would open up 2 "at-large" bowl bids (Texas Bowl's Big 12 spot
and Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl's Pac-10 spot), assuming a few
more things happen, and would leave room for at least one 6-6 "at-large"
bid to be handed out.  Here's what would have to happen:

Arizona (5-6) loses to Arizona State
Hawaii (11-0) loses to Washington
Florida Atlantic (6-5) loses to Troy
Miami (OH) (6-6) loses to Central Michigan in the MAC Championship

If any of these teams wins, it will essentially close up one available
spot.

If the best case scenario does happen, there will be 2 available spots,
with the following teams in competition for the spot (7-5 teams get in
ahead of
6-6 teams per the bowl eligibility rules):

Iowa (6-6)
Northwestern (6-6)
Ohio (6-6)
TCU (7-5)
Alabama (6-6) OR South Carolina (6-6)
Florida Atlantic (6-6, if they lose)
Louisiana-Monroe (6-6)
Louisiana Tech OR Nevada (6-6)
Louisville (6-6 if they beat Rutgers)

So, best case scenario - NU would have to "beat out" Iowa, Alabama/South
Carolina, (potentially) Louisville, and some mid-majors in order to get
a bowl berth - a tall order but still theoretically possible.  Anyways
we'll see what the last weekend in the "year of the upset" brings.

Jonathan

On Nov 25, 2007 6:24 PM, Mike Nolan <nolan@romaine.tssi.com> wrote:

> > Navy has already committed to the Poinsettia Bowl.
> >
> >
> http://www.poinsettiabowl.net/news/navy-to-play-in-3rd-san-diego-count
> y-credit-union-poinsettia-bowl.html
>
> I'm very happy for them, they've earned it.
>
> That may affect the non-BCS conferences more than the BCS conferences,

> though it may sink completely any chance of a 9th Big 10 team going 
> unless OSU gets into the NC game, and possibly not even then, because 
> we may not get 2 BCS slots.  If the Rose Bowl loses OSU and thus gets 
> pick of the litter, would they look towards Hawaii's fan base instead 
> of Illinois (#15 on the latest BCS list?)
> --
> Mike Nolan
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



--
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com


------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:51:27 -0800 (PST)
From: "SjT \(Stephen J. Truog\)" <sjtruog@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Basketball (fwd)
To: "Dennis W. Brandt" <tbng@comcast.net>, nwu-sports@romaine.tssi.com
Message-ID: <596510.58109.qm@web52905.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Why pull out of the league?

NU is more than competing in football over the past
10-15 years and excelling in most other sports.

Basketball seems to be the exception, not the rule, at this time.

I appreciate the hardcourt frustration, and an on-campus hoops facility
would be nice ... but there's no need to throw the baby out with the
bathwater and withdraw from the league or lower our standards.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!


 
________________________________________________________________________
____
________
Get easy, one-click access to your favorites. 
Make Yahoo! your homepage.
http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs 



------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:15:35 EST
From: Hakirsch@aol.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Basketball (fwd)
To: sjtruog@yahoo.com, nwu-sports@tssi.com
Message-ID: <ceb.22626a53.347bb077@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 11/25/2007 8:52:06 PM Pacific Standard Time,
sjtruog@yahoo.com writes:

> I appreciate the hardcourt frustration, and an on-campus hoops 
> facility would be nice ... but there's no need to throw the baby out 
> with the bathwater and withdraw from the league or lower our 
> standards.
> 
> 

I can't imagine this is even being considered,--The last time I think
there was any serious move afoot to drop out of the BT was during the
Strotz years in the 70's --(and maybe with good reason, given how little
NU cared about athletics then)  --NU will be getting a new president
fairly soon and it wil be intersting to see what his or her feelings
will be on our overall athletic program--After all it was Arnold Webber
--(Strotz' successor) who brought in Gary Barnett

Harry


**************************************
Check out AOL's list of 2007's 
hottest products.

(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop0003000000000
1)


------------------------------

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From nolan at romaine.tssi.com  Mon Nov 26 14:50:12 2007
From: nolan at romaine.tssi.com (Mike Nolan)
Date: Mon Nov 26 14:50:15 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Bowl game good/bad
Message-ID: <200711262050.lAQKoCZs027918@romaine.tssi.com>

> Does anyone really want our Cats to sneak into a bowl this year -- and lose
> again? Sure, we might have an advantage on paper, but that pathetic loss to
> Duke plus our chokes against Purdue and Iowa just leave a bad taste in my
> mouth for the 2007 season. Let's save our energy for next year.

Yes, if only for the extra 3 weeks of practice they'd get.

Most schools spend about half of that time working specifically on
the upcoming bowl game and the other half working with the players who
will be back next year.

It's like having a second set of spring drills and that makes it a HUGE 
competitive advantage for the teams playing in bowls.

Even the Domers finally admitted that the year they elected not to go to 
a 'lesser' bowl game was a big error.

BTW, Duke's coach got the axe, along with a bunch of others, including,
surprisingly, Jeff Bower after 17 years at Southern Mississippi.

And as expected, Joe Novak will retire at Northern Illinois.
--
Mike Nolan

From jason at jasonsinger.com  Mon Nov 26 15:17:16 2007
From: jason at jasonsinger.com (=?utf-8?B?amFzb24gc2luZ2Vy?=)
Date: Mon Nov 26 15:07:35 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
In-Reply-To: <000101c83023$a3b277b0$0302a8c0@DesktopPC>
References: <200711261000.lAQA03vo024564@romaine.tssi.com><000101c83023$a3b277b0$0302a8c0@DesktopPC>
Message-ID: <504136312-1196111834-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-544116695-@bxe001.bisx.prod.on.blackberry>

Might be the easiest question I've been asked in years. OF COURSE I want us to go to a bowl!! A fun trip, one more game before next September and an extra month of practice for the boys!! Sounds good to me...win or lose. Although, like Alan stated, I, too, expect victory!
Jason Singer SP86
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: "Dennis Gaub" <dennisgaub@qwest.net>

Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2007 04:58:20 
To:<nwu-sports@tssi.com>
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340


Does anyone really want our Cats to sneak into a bowl this year -- and lose
again? Sure, we might have an advantage on paper, but that pathetic loss to
Duke plus our chokes against Purdue and Iowa just leave a bad taste in my
mouth for the 2007 season. Let's save our energy for next year.

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of nwu-sports-request@tssi.com
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2007 3:00 AM
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: Bowl eligible teams (Jonathan Hodges)
   2. Re: Basketball (fwd) (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
   3. Re: Basketball (fwd) (Hakirsch@aol.com)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:54:44 -0600
From: "Jonathan Hodges" <jonathanwhodges@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Bowl eligible teams
To: "Mike Nolan" <nolan@romaine.tssi.com>
Cc: nwu-sports@romaine.tssi.com
Message-ID:
	<fcb3ee270711251854n60023d5fg8e047c574f49768e@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

If Hawaii loses, it's almost guaranteed that Illinois will get into a BCS
bowl, thereby bumping everyone "up" a spot and guaranteeing all Big Ten
teams with winning records a spot in a bowl.

Anyways, the best case scenario for NU would be if Hawaii does lose, giving
the Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and Pac-10 an extra "at-large" BCS spot - which
would open up 2 "at-large" bowl bids (Texas Bowl's Big 12 spot and Bell
Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl's Pac-10 spot), assuming a few more things
happen, and would leave room for at least one 6-6 "at-large" bid to be
handed out.  Here's what would have to happen:

Arizona (5-6) loses to Arizona State
Hawaii (11-0) loses to Washington
Florida Atlantic (6-5) loses to Troy
Miami (OH) (6-6) loses to Central Michigan in the MAC Championship

If any of these teams wins, it will essentially close up one available spot.

If the best case scenario does happen, there will be 2 available spots, with
the following teams in competition for the spot (7-5 teams get in ahead of
6-6 teams per the bowl eligibility rules):

Iowa (6-6)
Northwestern (6-6)
Ohio (6-6)
TCU (7-5)
Alabama (6-6) OR South Carolina (6-6)
Florida Atlantic (6-6, if they lose)
Louisiana-Monroe (6-6)
Louisiana Tech OR Nevada (6-6)
Louisville (6-6 if they beat Rutgers)

So, best case scenario - NU would have to "beat out" Iowa, Alabama/South
Carolina, (potentially) Louisville, and some mid-majors in order to get a
bowl berth - a tall order but still theoretically possible.  Anyways we'll
see what the last weekend in the "year of the upset" brings.

Jonathan

On Nov 25, 2007 6:24 PM, Mike Nolan <nolan@romaine.tssi.com> wrote:

> > Navy has already committed to the Poinsettia Bowl.
> >
> >
> http://www.poinsettiabowl.net/news/navy-to-play-in-3rd-san-diego-count
> y-credit-union-poinsettia-bowl.html
>
> I'm very happy for them, they've earned it.
>
> That may affect the non-BCS conferences more than the BCS conferences,
> though it may sink completely any chance of a 9th Big 10 team going
> unless OSU gets into the NC game, and possibly not even then, because
> we may not get 2 BCS slots.  If the Rose Bowl loses OSU and thus gets
> pick of the litter, would they look towards Hawaii's fan base instead
> of Illinois (#15 on the latest BCS list?)
> --
> Mike Nolan
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



--
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com


------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:51:27 -0800 (PST)
From: "SjT \(Stephen J. Truog\)" <sjtruog@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Basketball (fwd)
To: "Dennis W. Brandt" <tbng@comcast.net>, nwu-sports@romaine.tssi.com
Message-ID: <596510.58109.qm@web52905.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Why pull out of the league?

NU is more than competing in football over the past
10-15 years and excelling in most other sports.

Basketball seems to be the exception, not the rule, at
this time.

I appreciate the hardcourt frustration, and an
on-campus hoops facility would be nice ... but there's
no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater and
withdraw from the league or lower our standards.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!



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________
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------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:15:35 EST
From: Hakirsch@aol.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Basketball (fwd)
To: sjtruog@yahoo.com, nwu-sports@tssi.com
Message-ID: <ceb.22626a53.347bb077@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 11/25/2007 8:52:06 PM Pacific Standard Time,
sjtruog@yahoo.com writes:

> I appreciate the hardcourt frustration, and an
> on-campus hoops facility would be nice ... but there's
> no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater and
> withdraw from the league or lower our standards.
>
>

I can't imagine this is even being considered,--The last time I think there
was any serious move afoot to drop out of the BT was during the Strotz years
in
the 70's --(and maybe with good reason, given how little NU cared about
athletics then)  --NU will be getting a new president fairly soon and it wil
be
intersting to see what his or her feelings will be on our overall athletic
program--After all it was Arnold Webber --(Strotz' successor) who brought in
Gary
Barnett

Harry


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From jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com  Mon Nov 26 15:25:31 2007
From: jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com (Jeff Beamsley)
Date: Mon Nov 26 15:15:35 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Duke fires football coach Ted Roof 
In-Reply-To: <c63.1f026c2e.347c892f@aol.com>
References: <c63.1f026c2e.347c892f@aol.com>
Message-ID: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0D1A@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>

At this point in the season the only people who remember (NU fans and Duke
fans) are trying to forget.  

No one else cares.

It's sad that we won't get a bowl bid, but honestly the team and coaches
didn't earn it.  They had the talent and they had the opportunity.  They just
didn't execute.

It will be a useful season if the coaches and players assume responsibility
for their disappointments and make the necessary commitments to be better
prepared for next year.  That's what winners do.

As an example, Michigan lost to OSU 50-14 in 1968.  When asked why he went
for a two point conversion to push the score to 50, Woody responded, "'Cause
I couldn't go for three".  Bo was hired the next year could have easily
blamed this on the previous coaches.  Instead, he rubbed that score in his
teams face from the first day of training camp putting it on their uniforms
and making them run across it going to and from the locker room.  Even though
they were huge underdogs, they crushed OSU's bid for a repeat national
championship in 1969 24-12.

Soon it will be time for us to put this to bed and let the players a coaches
prepare for next year.

Jeff 

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of MHRJGScott@aol.com
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2007 3:40 PM
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: [NU Sports] Duke fires football coach Ted Roof 

two days after the Blue Devils concluded a 1-11 season with their  ninth
straight loss. After snapping a 22-game losing streak with a victory at
Northwestern, the Blue Devils lost nine straight to end this season. 
Another painful NU sports moment.



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From nolan at romaine.tssi.com  Mon Nov 26 15:18:41 2007
From: nolan at romaine.tssi.com (Mike Nolan)
Date: Mon Nov 26 15:18:44 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] IU rewards Lynch
Message-ID: <200711262118.lAQLIfnM028231@romaine.tssi.com>

Indiana has taken the 'interim' off Bill Lynch's title and given him 
a contract through 2011.

ESPN says Lynch was the lowest paid coach in the Big 10 this season
but will now have a contract worth about $550K a year (including $300K in
promotional activities.)  Is Fitz making more than that or is he now
bottom dog again?
--
Mike Nolan

From CHerron604 at aol.com  Mon Nov 26 17:39:49 2007
From: CHerron604 at aol.com (CHerron604@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 26 17:30:17 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
Message-ID: <d50.19692cf2.347cb345@aol.com>

For each of the four groups -
 
- The players, a bowl trip would be nice, they have contributed admirably  to 
the program.  
 
- The fans, a trip someplace warm would be nice, but almost all of us  can 
venture to Arizona, or Southern California, or Florida for a few days.   In 
fact, we can catch a game, if we like, without suffering the wild highs and  
heart-rending lows of watching a Cats game.  Alternatively, we can sit  around the 
pool or lounge and concentrate on things more pleasant than false  starts and 
busted coverages.
 
- The coaches.  Underperformed this season.  Starting out with a  schedule 
featuring 5 byes (Northeastern, Nevada, Duke, Eastern Michigan and  Minnesota), 
they won 6 games,  Not acceptable.
 
- The athletic department.  Zero marketing, a microscopic  presence in the 
Chicago sports media, miserable game day services (traffic  control, parking, 
concessions).  This group has failed miserably.  I  will predict, however, that 
they will excel at getting out the season ticket  renewal forms quickly, and 
they will cash each of our renewal checks faster than  Tyrell Sutton hits a 
hole.
 
The only fair reward would be to take some of our share of the Big Ten bowl  
windfall, and treat the seniors and their parents to a Rose Bowl trip, dinner 
at  Lawrey's and a day at Disneyland or something (of course, rewarding the 
players  with anything will always be against NCAA rules).
 
I hate to say it, but for the athletic staff and coaches, it seems to take  a 
'stomach punch' like missed revenue, missed practices, and paying for their  
own holiday trip to wake these people up and make them do what needs to be 
done  to make this program a regular bowl participant. 
 
Chuck Herron   Tech '85



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From MHRJGScott at aol.com  Mon Nov 26 19:24:50 2007
From: MHRJGScott at aol.com (MHRJGScott@aol.com)
Date: Mon Nov 26 19:17:58 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
Message-ID: <d44.17fecff8.347ccbe2@aol.com>

 
In a message dated 11/26/2007 6:41:37 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
CHerron604@aol.com writes:

The  athletic department.  Zero marketing, a microscopic  presence in the  
Chicago sports media, miserable game day services (traffic  control,  
parking, 
concessions).  This group has failed miserably.   I  will predict, however, 
that 
they will excel at getting out the  season ticket  renewal forms quickly, and 
they will cash each of our  renewal checks faster than  Tyrell Sutton hits a  
hole


Chuck is so right on about this, the faculty (which controls the  university, 
make no mistake), is embarrassed about playing football (see U of  Chicago 
circa 1920), and only allows it if the administration does not get  carried away 
and pay the coaches, like market salaries. We are  doomed.



**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest 
products.
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From rstetson at capps-assoc.com  Mon Nov 26 20:23:27 2007
From: rstetson at capps-assoc.com (Roy Lamberton)
Date: Mon Nov 26 20:12:07 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
In-Reply-To: <d44.17fecff8.347ccbe2@aol.com>
References: <d44.17fecff8.347ccbe2@aol.com>
Message-ID: <001601c8309c$7ec61000$7c523000$@com>

The bright spot on NU's athletic marketing is their long time relationship with
the Trib and WGN. While Fitz doesn't have a TV coach's show, he does appear with
Spike and Kaplan regularly. 

The sad thing is that the Trib is losing circulation, and WGN is just one of
many, many sports voices in Chicago now.

For some reason, the Sports marketing guys seem to be afraid to get their story
out, closing innumerable practices, and citing space restraints for  limiting
access to the coaches. 

Unfortunately, NU is probably considered an elitist north shore institution in a
long time blue collar town. No sure how you break that down except by winning
more games than we lose, something that RW and now Fitz is trying to do. 

With Notre Dame down, this was our year to take that giant leap in the sports
sections. Illinois got there first with a true Cinderella season instead.

rsl

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate
& sometime Unix Guru....
Computer Applications & Support Associates 
==========  Go Cats -? Beat 'em All  ============
"You have a Republic Madam --
???? If you can keep it" - Benjamin Franklin
============================================


> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
> Behalf Of MHRJGScott@aol.com
> Sent: Monday, November 26, 2007 8:25 PM
> To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
> 
> 
> In a message dated 11/26/2007 6:41:37 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> CHerron604@aol.com writes:
> 
> The  athletic department.  Zero marketing, a microscopic  presence in the
> Chicago sports media, miserable game day services (traffic  control,
> parking,
> concessions).  This group has failed miserably.   I  will predict, however,
> that
> they will excel at getting out the  season ticket  renewal forms quickly,
> and
> they will cash each of our  renewal checks faster than  Tyrell Sutton hits
> a
> hole
> 
> 
> Chuck is so right on about this, the faculty (which controls the
> university,
> make no mistake), is embarrassed about playing football (see U of  Chicago
> circa 1920), and only allows it if the administration does not get  carried
> away
> and pay the coaches, like market salaries. We are  doomed.
> 
> 
> 
> **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's
> hottest
> products.
> (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports


From warneradams at comcast.net  Mon Nov 26 21:12:39 2007
From: warneradams at comcast.net (warneradams)
Date: Mon Nov 26 21:01:58 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Duke fires football coach Ted Roof 
In-Reply-To: <c63.1f026c2e.347c892f@aol.com>
Message-ID: <20071127031238.1D1631C1FE@gw.tssi.com>

Needless to say, had NU not lost that game we could very well be looking at
getting our names rubbed out of the record books for consecutive losses.
They would have been at 32 straight and opening 2008 against us at home
before facing Navy to tie the streak and at Vanderbilt to set the record.




-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of MHRJGScott@aol.com
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2007 2:40 PM
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: [NU Sports] Duke fires football coach Ted Roof 

two days after the Blue Devils concluded a 1-11 season with their  ninth 
straight loss. After snapping a 22-game losing streak with a victory at  
Northwestern, the Blue Devils lost nine straight to end this season. 
Another painful NU sports moment.



**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest

products.
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From jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com  Mon Nov 26 21:42:29 2007
From: jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com (Jeff Beamsley)
Date: Mon Nov 26 21:32:32 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
In-Reply-To: <d44.17fecff8.347ccbe2@aol.com>
References: <d44.17fecff8.347ccbe2@aol.com>
Message-ID: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0D3D@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>

Bienen and the board run the university.  

They understand the value of a competitive football program in offering the
same sort of student experience as Duke and Stanford.  Whether the profs like
it or not, Bienen and the board know you have to have a good football program
to attract the kids who meet the requirements AND have parents able to pay
the tuition.

They also understand how going to bowl games affects alumni giving.

Last time we looked, RW was paid very well.  This isn't a question of money.
Just time.  

PF is probably the best paid coach for his experience in Div I.  As he proves
that he can actually do the job, I'm sure he will get paid better.  Kudo's to
both him and Murphy for being willing to take the risk.

Murphy appears to be a significant upgrade from previous AD's.  NU is winning
national championships and appears to be a magnet for talented female
athletes.  

I'm a little puzzled by his patience with the sorry state of basketball, but
I believe he is on the right track with football.

Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of MHRJGScott@aol.com
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2007 8:25 PM
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340

 
In a message dated 11/26/2007 6:41:37 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
CHerron604@aol.com writes:

The  athletic department.  Zero marketing, a microscopic  presence in the
Chicago sports media, miserable game day services (traffic  control, parking,

concessions).  This group has failed miserably.   I  will predict, however, 
that
they will excel at getting out the  season ticket  renewal forms quickly, and
they will cash each of our  renewal checks faster than  Tyrell Sutton hits a
hole


Chuck is so right on about this, the faculty (which controls the  university,
make no mistake), is embarrassed about playing football (see U of  Chicago
circa 1920), and only allows it if the administration does not get  carried
away and pay the coaches, like market salaries. We are  doomed.



**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest
products.
(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
_______________________________________________
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nwu-sports@tssi.com
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From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Mon Nov 26 22:15:59 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Mon Nov 26 22:05:22 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] PIGSKIN PICKS - Week 14
Message-ID: <191512.80543.qm@web52912.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

Dunno if standings will be out by the weekend,
hopefully so, but I wanted to get out the final week's
slate. All picks due by kickoff Saturday.

PIGSKIN PICKS - WEEK 14
#######################
Name: 

NATIONAL
========
GAME 1: Army vs. Navy (@ Baltimore)
WINNER: 

GAME 2: Boston College vs. Virginia Tech (@
Jacksonville)
WINNER: 

GAME 3: Louisiana St. vs. Tennessee (@ Atlanta)
WINNER: 

GAME 4: Missouri vs. Oklahoma (@ San Antonio)
WINNER: 

GAME 5: UCLA @ Southern Cal
WINNER: 

MY PICKS
========
* NAVY 34, Army 13 - The Middies have dominated this
series lately and it continues here.

* VIRGINIA TECH 23, Boston College 10 - This time, the
Hokies play the full 60 minutes.

* LSU 49, Tennessee 17 - This one gets ugly early as
the Tigers take out their frustrations on the Vols,
who really don't belong here.

* OKLAHOMA 35, Missouri 31 - The game of the day could
go either way, but the Sooners edge Mizzou again to
continue this wacky year of BCS turmoil.

* USC 55, Ucla 10 - After last year's debacle, the
Trojans get revenge and wish that the NCAA had a
playoff system to erase their midyear slump.

Picks due by kickoff Saturday.
GO CATS!!!
-SjT


* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!


      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Never miss a thing.  Make Yahoo your home page. 
http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

From bwdolphin146 at yahoo.com  Mon Nov 26 22:21:17 2007
From: bwdolphin146 at yahoo.com (Brad Wilson)
Date: Mon Nov 26 22:10:41 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] talk of leaving the league
Message-ID: <291263.55963.qm@web51301.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

... is just silly.

Sure, both men's and women's hoops perennially
struggle. Fine. 

Baseball is mediocre but competitive. Ditto football,
maybe a tad above mediocre there.

But in both swimmings, wrestling -- where this could
be a VERY special season -- men's soccer, and softball
NU does just fine or better in the conference. Men's
swimming, softball, wrestling, men's soccer and
(non-BT) sport women's lacrosse have been nationally
competitive or better. 

Bad basketball is no reason to leave the Big Ten.

Brad Wilson

"Happy are those who see beauty in the modest spots where others see nothing." -- Camille Pissaro

"Quis ipsos custodes custodiet?" -- Juvenal


      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better pen pal. 
Text or chat with friends inside Yahoo! Mail. See how.  http://overview.mail.yahoo.com/

From christopher_bailey at yahoo.com  Tue Nov 27 04:55:18 2007
From: christopher_bailey at yahoo.com (Christopher Bailey)
Date: Tue Nov 27 04:44:42 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Re: talk of leaving the league
Message-ID: <424611.28057.qm@web50907.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

I would further make the point that if NU can come from the despair that was the football program for so many years, where over 80 athletes are needed, certainly it should be possible to rebuild a basketball program that requires 14.

C'mon folks, don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

GO 'CATS!

Christopher Bailey
christopher_bailey@yahoo.com

----- Original Message ----
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2007 20:21:17 -0800 (PST)
From: Brad Wilson <bwdolphin146@yahoo.com>
Subject: [NU Sports] talk of leaving the league

... is just silly.

Sure, both men's and women's hoops perennially
struggle. Fine. 

Baseball is mediocre but competitive. Ditto football,
maybe a tad above mediocre there.

But in both swimmings, wrestling -- where this could
be a VERY special season -- men's soccer, and softball
NU does just fine or better in the conference. Men's
swimming, softball, wrestling, men's soccer and
(non-BT) sport women's lacrosse have been nationally
competitive or better. 

Bad basketball is no reason to leave the Big Ten.

Brad Wilson




From tbng at comcast.net  Tue Nov 27 06:25:54 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Tue Nov 27 06:15:23 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] talk of leaving the league
References: <291263.55963.qm@web51301.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <000d01c830f0$a7b12d70$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>

> But in both swimmings, wrestling -- where this could
> be a VERY special season -- men's soccer, and softball
> NU does just fine or better in the conference. Men's
> swimming, softball, wrestling, men's soccer and
> (non-BT) sport women's lacrosse have been nationally
> competitive or better.

I guess it's left to me to ask the question most of you want to ask but lack 
the courage in this PC world.

Who cares about these sports?  The participants?  Sure.  Their families?  Of 
course.  A tiny number of fans?  Yep.  Feminists on women's sports?  No 
question.  The other 95% of college sports fans could not care less.  Go to 
the next Penn State football game and ask the 110,000 fans there if they 
regularly follow any of the above sports, and 105,000 will likely say no. 
Or do you really think that fans would fill Beaver Stadium to watch Penn 
State's soccer or women's lacrosse teams play?  (Would 1,000 even show up?) 
Those fans will probably agree with me in the abstract that second tier 
sports are just fine, but they truly care only about football and men's 
basketball.  Keep in mind that those two sports pay the expenses for all the 
others - or should in Northwestern's case.

You're whistling in the dark if you excuse Northwestern's basketball 
futility and football mediocrity by pointing to sports successes of interest 
to a small fraction of the nation.  Congratulations to those other programs 
and keep up the good work, but give me championships in basketball and 
football.

From wseliger at aol.com  Tue Nov 27 07:24:08 2007
From: wseliger at aol.com (wseliger@aol.com)
Date: Tue Nov 27 07:14:32 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] talk of leaving the league
In-Reply-To: <000d01c830f0$a7b12d70$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
References: <291263.55963.qm@web51301.mail.re2.yahoo.com><000d01c830f0$a7b12d70$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
Message-ID: <1423305095-1196169849-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-1389132071-@bxe121.bisx.prod.on.blackberry>

I've been to a women's volleyball ball game at Penn State and it was standing room only - I believe attendance was over 3,500.

I always chalked that up to the fact that there is nothing else to do on Saturday night in Happy Valley, but I know that's not true.

I've followed the NU women's LaX team for the past several years and it's embarassing how few perple are at these games.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

-----Original Message-----
From: "Dennis W. Brandt" <tbng@comcast.net>

Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2007 07:25:54 
To:<nwu-sports@tssi.com>
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] talk of leaving the league


> But in both swimmings, wrestling -- where this could
> be a VERY special season -- men's soccer, and softball
> NU does just fine or better in the conference. Men's
> swimming, softball, wrestling, men's soccer and
> (non-BT) sport women's lacrosse have been nationally
> competitive or better.

I guess it's left to me to ask the question most of you want to ask but lack 
the courage in this PC world.

Who cares about these sports?  The participants?  Sure.  Their families?  Of 
course.  A tiny number of fans?  Yep.  Feminists on women's sports?  No 
question.  The other 95% of college sports fans could not care less.  Go to 
the next Penn State football game and ask the 110,000 fans there if they 
regularly follow any of the above sports, and 105,000 will likely say no. 
Or do you really think that fans would fill Beaver Stadium to watch Penn 
State's soccer or women's lacrosse teams play?  (Would 1,000 even show up?) 
Those fans will probably agree with me in the abstract that second tier 
sports are just fine, but they truly care only about football and men's 
basketball.  Keep in mind that those two sports pay the expenses for all the 
others - or should in Northwestern's case.

You're whistling in the dark if you excuse Northwestern's basketball 
futility and football mediocrity by pointing to sports successes of interest 
to a small fraction of the nation.  Congratulations to those other programs 
and keep up the good work, but give me championships in basketball and 
football.

_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From tkmaycock at yahoo.com  Tue Nov 27 09:13:43 2007
From: tkmaycock at yahoo.com (Tom Maycock)
Date: Tue Nov 27 09:03:04 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
In-Reply-To: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C010F0D3D@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>
Message-ID: <908814.48412.qm@web33114.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

> Murphy appears to be a significant upgrade from previous AD's.  NU is
> winning national championships and appears to be a magnet for
talented female athletes.  

Agreed. Unfortunately, we may lose him. According to the Trib today,
he's one of the top candidates (along with Jim Delaney of the Big 10)
for the CEO job with the Green Bay Packers.

Sure hope he stays, as I've been very impressed with him. But it's easy
to see why a job with the Packers would be appealing.

Tom

From NEONRye at aol.com  Tue Nov 27 09:53:57 2007
From: NEONRye at aol.com (NEONRye@aol.com)
Date: Tue Nov 27 09:44:31 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
Message-ID: <c43.208e34c7.347d9795@aol.com>

Having met him and heard him speak at several alumni Sports Nights  held by 
the NU Club of NY, an annual event, I think it would be a major loss for  the 
University if Mr. Murphy does leave.  His life experiences and unique  "skill 
set" (a phrase I really hate), including a law degree and stint at the  
Department of Justice, not to mention playing on a Super Bowl championship team,  
make him a "Renaissance Man" in the best sense of the word.  He is a great  
representative for NU and has led our Athletic Department to some great heights.  
Hopefully, he won't go up to the Frozen Tundra.
 
Paul Levinson



**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest 
products.
(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
From Alan.Abrahamson at nbcsports.com  Tue Nov 27 10:39:17 2007
From: Alan.Abrahamson at nbcsports.com (Abrahamson, Alan (NBC Universal))
Date: Tue Nov 27 10:29:53 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
In-Reply-To: <c43.208e34c7.347d9795@aol.com>
References: <c43.208e34c7.347d9795@aol.com>
Message-ID: <33C4F11DF8639640A51C79CB484166FF031D2705@RKFMLVEM02.e2k.ad.ge.com>

I agree completely. 
 Mark Murphy is one of the best things to happen to the Northwestern
sports program in my lifetime.
 I understand completely, by the way, the frustration over the
basketball team's ongoing and inexplicable ineptitude, and the
disappointment over the football team's 6-6 (shoulda been 7-5) season.
 That said, the Northwestern athletic department is miles-miles-miles
ahead of where it was when most of us on this list were students. The
Wildcats compete for the Big Ten championship in almost all the
non-revenue sports. The swimming and wrestling teams produce
All-Americans. And the women's programs, as was pointed out, have surged
to the nation's elite ranks. 
 That is all on Murphy -- to his great credit.
 Next year's football team will be 8-4, or better. 
 The basketball team ... well, I wish I knew.

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com]
On Behalf Of NEONRye@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 7:54 AM
To: tkmaycock@yahoo.com; nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340

Having met him and heard him speak at several alumni Sports Nights  held
by the NU Club of NY, an annual event, I think it would be a major loss
for  the University if Mr. Murphy does leave.  His life experiences and
unique  "skill set" (a phrase I really hate), including a law degree and
stint at the Department of Justice, not to mention playing on a Super
Bowl championship team, make him a "Renaissance Man" in the best sense
of the word.  He is a great representative for NU and has led our
Athletic Department to some great heights.  
Hopefully, he won't go up to the Frozen Tundra.
 
Paul Levinson



**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's
hottest products.
(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop0003000000000
1)
_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From tbng at comcast.net  Tue Nov 27 11:12:52 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Tue Nov 27 11:02:22 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
References: <c43.208e34c7.347d9795@aol.com>
	<33C4F11DF8639640A51C79CB484166FF031D2705@RKFMLVEM02.e2k.ad.ge.com>
Message-ID: <000501c83118$be965b00$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>

> That said, the Northwestern athletic department is miles-miles-miles
> ahead of where it was when most of us on this list were students.

That is not a compliment when you remember that it was miles-miles-miles 
behind where it should have been.  Any improvement to nothing is something. 
But they've hit a plateau on football and remain invisible on men's 
basketball.  Those are the sports that matter most and that get the 
university the most press and revenue.   Mark Murphy cannot do what the 
administration will not allow him to do.  If he leaves, he will be going 
from a small-time operation to a grand one.  If Ohio State's AD made the 
same move, he would be making a lateral move into a different sports venue. 

From johnadeg at comcast.net  Tue Nov 27 15:22:11 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Tue Nov 27 15:11:37 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
Message-ID: <112720072122.22923.474C8A83000C73170000598B2216554886090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

What do you expect from a left wing oriented faculty?

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: MHRJGScott@aol.com
>  
> In a message dated 11/26/2007 6:41:37 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
> CHerron604@aol.com writes:
> 
> The  athletic department.  Zero marketing, a microscopic  presence in the  
> Chicago sports media, miserable game day services (traffic  control,  
> parking, 
> concessions).  This group has failed miserably.   I  will predict, however, 
> that 
> they will excel at getting out the  season ticket  renewal forms quickly, and 
> they will cash each of our  renewal checks faster than  Tyrell Sutton hits a  
> hole
> 
> 
> Chuck is so right on about this, the faculty (which controls the  university, 
> make no mistake), is embarrassed about playing football (see U of  Chicago 
> circa 1920), and only allows it if the administration does not get  carried away 
> and pay the coaches, like market salaries. We are  doomed.
> 
> 
> 
> **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest 
> products.
> (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com  Tue Nov 27 15:48:30 2007
From: jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com (Jeff Beamsley)
Date: Tue Nov 27 15:38:33 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
In-Reply-To: <112720072122.22923.474C8A83000C73170000598B2216554886090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
References: <112720072122.22923.474C8A83000C73170000598B2216554886090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C0120B910@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>

That mean you are a supporter of Prof. Butz?

Jeff


-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of johnadeg@comcast.net
Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 4:22 PM
To: MHRJGScott@aol.com; nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340

What do you expect from a left wing oriented faculty?

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: MHRJGScott@aol.com
>  
> In a message dated 11/26/2007 6:41:37 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, 
> CHerron604@aol.com writes:
> 
> The  athletic department.  Zero marketing, a microscopic  presence in 
> the Chicago sports media, miserable game day services (traffic  
> control, parking,
> concessions).  This group has failed miserably.   I  will predict, however,

> that
> they will excel at getting out the  season ticket  renewal forms 
> quickly, and they will cash each of our  renewal checks faster than  
> Tyrell Sutton hits a hole
> 
> 
> Chuck is so right on about this, the faculty (which controls the  
> university, make no mistake), is embarrassed about playing football 
> (see U of  Chicago circa 1920), and only allows it if the 
> administration does not get  carried away and pay the coaches, like market
salaries. We are  doomed.
> 
> 
> 
> **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's 
> hottest products.
> (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000
> 001) _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From rstetson at capps-assoc.com  Tue Nov 27 19:35:56 2007
From: rstetson at capps-assoc.com (Roy Lamberton)
Date: Tue Nov 27 19:24:22 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
In-Reply-To: <112720072122.22923.474C8A83000C73170000598B2216554886090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
References: <112720072122.22923.474C8A83000C73170000598B2216554886090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <000d01c8315f$05ff7120$11fe5360$@com>

To be fair...

There are few right wing oriented, or even middle of the road oriented faculties
in Academia today.

But the left wing oriented faculty at Texas, Oklahoma, ND, etc etc still support
their football teams.

rsl

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate
& sometime Unix Guru....
Computer Applications & Support Associates 
==========  Go Cats -? Beat 'em All  ============
"You have a Republic Madam --
???? If you can keep it" - Benjamin Franklin
============================================

> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
> Behalf Of johnadeg@comcast.net
> Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 4:22 PM
> To: MHRJGScott@aol.com; nwu-sports@tssi.com
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
> 
> What do you expect from a left wing oriented faculty?
> 
> John DeGroat
>  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: MHRJGScott@aol.com
> >
> > In a message dated 11/26/2007 6:41:37 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> > CHerron604@aol.com writes:
> >
> > The  athletic department.  Zero marketing, a microscopic  presence in the
> > Chicago sports media, miserable game day services (traffic  control,
> > parking,
> > concessions).  This group has failed miserably.   I  will predict,
> however,
> > that
> > they will excel at getting out the  season ticket  renewal forms quickly,
> and
> > they will cash each of our  renewal checks faster than  Tyrell Sutton
> hits a
> > hole
> >
> >
> > Chuck is so right on about this, the faculty (which controls the
> university,
> > make no mistake), is embarrassed about playing football (see U of
> Chicago
> > circa 1920), and only allows it if the administration does not get
> carried away
> > and pay the coaches, like market salaries. We are  doomed.
> >
> >
> >
> > **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's
> hottest
> > products.
> > (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-
> 2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
> > _______________________________________________
> > nwu-sports site list
> > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports


From neonrye at aol.com  Tue Nov 27 20:33:54 2007
From: neonrye at aol.com (neonrye@aol.com)
Date: Tue Nov 27 20:26:26 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
In-Reply-To: <112720072122.22923.474C8A83000C73170000598B2216554886090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
References: <112720072122.22923.474C8A83000C73170000598B2216554886090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <8C9FF7E4148FB4B-E44-3C6F@webmail-mf02.sysops.aol.com>


 John,

I am a progressive (moderate liberal---not as one-sided as in my younger days, with a fondness now for balanced budgets and other more "conservative" concepts), and I love sports and want to see NU succeed on the athletic fields.? Does that make me an anomaly, or are your stereotypes simplistic and detached from reality.? President Bush is also a sports nut, the one thing I have in common with the man, and is also a conservative and a profound failure.? Does that mean I should put down all conservatives who love sports, because a leading example is such a horrible leader for our nation?? Why tar the entire NU faculty with a brush that has nothing to do with their attitude towards athletics?? 

Paul Levinson


 


 

-----Original Message-----
From: johnadeg@comcast.net
To: MHRJGScott@aol.com; nwu-sports@tssi.com
Sent: Tue, 27 Nov 2007 4:22 pm
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340










What do you expect from a left wing oriented faculty?

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: MHRJGScott@aol.com
>  
> In a message dated 11/26/2007 6:41:37 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
> CHerron604@aol.com writes:
> 
> The  athletic department.  Zero marketing, a microscopic  presence in the  
> Chicago sports media, miserable game day services (traffic  control,  
> parking, 
> concessions).  This group has failed miserably.   I  will predict, however, 
> that 
> they will excel at getting out the  season ticket  renewal forms quickly, and 
> they will cash each of our  renewal checks faster than  Tyrell Sutton hits a  
> hole
> 
> 
> Chuck is so right on about this, the faculty (which controls the  university, 
> make no mistake), is embarrassed about playing football (see U of  Chicago 
> circa 1920), and only allows it if the administration does not get  carried 
away 
> and pay the coaches, like market salaries. We are  doomed.
> 
> 
> 
> **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest 
> products.
> (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports



 


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From WildElk2 at aol.com  Tue Nov 27 20:53:42 2007
From: WildElk2 at aol.com (WildElk2@aol.com)
Date: Tue Nov 27 20:44:03 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Basketball
Message-ID: <c37.1c6dc69b.347e3236@aol.com>

We  lost 150-32 tonight to Virginia, a few days after losing to...the  Brown 
Bears?  Sounds like a punchline.  They are so bogus.
 
   Blah basketball  Cats,            Eric



**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest 
products.
(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
From bwdolphin146 at yahoo.com  Tue Nov 27 21:03:50 2007
From: bwdolphin146 at yahoo.com (Brad Wilson)
Date: Tue Nov 27 20:53:08 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] well, sorry, Dennis
Message-ID: <959825.99849.qm@web51311.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

Yes, I know MOST fans couldn't care less about
anything other than football and men's hoops, but that
doesn't mean I can't, and I do. 

Frankly, I care a lot more about wrestling than I do
basketball, and anybody that wants to see NU win a
national men's title anytime soon should as well.
Heck, I'd like to see track make a comeback.

I do suspect, too, that many people actually at NU
judge the athletic department not merely on the big
two sports, but as a whole. The smaller sports are
part of campus life in a way the bigger ones sometime
are not.

I do know that I am lot more likely to support an
athletic program if overall excellence is achieved.
Others may differ, and I certainly would not denigrate
their point of view. 

But to ignore the grace, skill, achievement and
athleticism of the non-revenue sports is, to me, to
miss much of the joy and passion of college athletics.
In this case, 95 percent of the people are, I believe,
missing out. Too bad.

Brad Wilson



  

"Happy are those who see beauty in the modest spots where others see nothing." -- Camille Pissaro

"Quis ipsos custodes custodiet?" -- Juvenal


      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better pen pal. 
Text or chat with friends inside Yahoo! Mail. See how.  http://overview.mail.yahoo.com/

From johnadeg at comcast.net  Tue Nov 27 21:44:34 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Tue Nov 27 21:33:59 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
Message-ID: <112820070344.13111.474CE4220003B653000033372216549976090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

But NU's  left wing oriented faculty doesn't support NU sports.  MY guess is that the reason that Murphy might or will leave is aside from money that he probably has not been allowed to do what he thinks needs to be done  to have a first class basketball and football programs.  Too bad, he will be a great loss if he leave.  If he does leave his replacement will probably be another Ivy Leaguer who has no clue about how to run a Big Ten program.

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Roy Lamberton" <rstetson@capps-assoc.com>
> To be fair...
> 
> There are few right wing oriented, or even middle of the road oriented faculties
> in Academia today.
> 
> But the left wing oriented faculty at Texas, Oklahoma, ND, etc etc still support
> their football teams.
> 
> rsl
> 
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate
> & sometime Unix Guru....
> Computer Applications & Support Associates 
> ==========  Go Cats -  Beat 'em All  ============
> "You have a Republic Madam --
>      If you can keep it" - Benjamin Franklin
> ============================================
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
> > Behalf Of johnadeg@comcast.net
> > Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 4:22 PM
> > To: MHRJGScott@aol.com; nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > Subject: Re: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
> > 
> > What do you expect from a left wing oriented faculty?
> > 
> > John DeGroat
> >  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> > From: MHRJGScott@aol.com
> > >
> > > In a message dated 11/26/2007 6:41:37 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> > > CHerron604@aol.com writes:
> > >
> > > The  athletic department.  Zero marketing, a microscopic  presence in the
> > > Chicago sports media, miserable game day services (traffic  control,
> > > parking,
> > > concessions).  This group has failed miserably.   I  will predict,
> > however,
> > > that
> > > they will excel at getting out the  season ticket  renewal forms quickly,
> > and
> > > they will cash each of our  renewal checks faster than  Tyrell Sutton
> > hits a
> > > hole
> > >
> > >
> > > Chuck is so right on about this, the faculty (which controls the
> > university,
> > > make no mistake), is embarrassed about playing football (see U of
> > Chicago
> > > circa 1920), and only allows it if the administration does not get
> > carried away
> > > and pay the coaches, like market salaries. We are  doomed.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's
> > hottest
> > > products.
> > > (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-
> > 2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > nwu-sports site list
> > > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
> > nwu-sports site list
> > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> 

From johnadeg at comcast.net  Tue Nov 27 21:55:22 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Tue Nov 27 21:44:46 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
Message-ID: <112820070355.11505.474CE6AA0005EF2000002CF12216549976090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

Why do you think that no real success has been accomplished despite what Murphy has been able to accomplish.
Bringing Bush into th equation is a joke.  He comes closer to being a Dem than a Republican.  The issue is the influence of the liberal faculty.  Read some of the comments in this chat room and you'll find my views aren't a national sampling of one.  You might recall some of the faculty comments after Barnett brought NU out of football oblivion.  They were shocked and anguished.  YOur comments suggest to me that in your undergraduate days you may have been one of those people running up and down the street with  a North Vietnam flag.  

John DeGroat 
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: neonrye@aol.com
> 
>  John,
> 
> I am a progressive (moderate liberal---not as one-sided as in my younger days, 
> with a fondness now for balanced budgets and other more "conservative" 
> concepts), and I love sports and want to see NU succeed on the athletic fields.? 
> Does that make me an anomaly, or are your stereotypes simplistic and detached 
> from reality.? President Bush is also a sports nut, the one thing I have in 
> common with the man, and is also a conservative and a profound failure.? Does 
> that mean I should put down all conservatives who love sports, because a leading 
> example is such a horrible leader for our nation?? Why tar the entire NU faculty 
> with a brush that has nothing to do with their attitude towards athletics?? 
> 
> Paul Levinson
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: johnadeg@comcast.net
> To: MHRJGScott@aol.com; nwu-sports@tssi.com
> Sent: Tue, 27 Nov 2007 4:22 pm
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> What do you expect from a left wing oriented faculty?
> 
> John DeGroat
>  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: MHRJGScott@aol.com
> >  
> > In a message dated 11/26/2007 6:41:37 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
> > CHerron604@aol.com writes:
> > 
> > The  athletic department.  Zero marketing, a microscopic  presence in the  
> > Chicago sports media, miserable game day services (traffic  control,  
> > parking, 
> > concessions).  This group has failed miserably.   I  will predict, however, 
> > that 
> > they will excel at getting out the  season ticket  renewal forms quickly, and 
> > they will cash each of our  renewal checks faster than  Tyrell Sutton hits a  
> > hole
> > 
> > 
> > Chuck is so right on about this, the faculty (which controls the  university, 
> > make no mistake), is embarrassed about playing football (see U of  Chicago 
> > circa 1920), and only allows it if the administration does not get  carried 
> away 
> > and pay the coaches, like market salaries. We are  doomed.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest 
> > products.
> > (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
> > _______________________________________________
> > nwu-sports site list
> > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> 
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
> ________________________________________________________________________
> More new features than ever.  Check out the new AOL Mail ! - 
> http://o.aolcdn.com/cdn.webmail.aol.com/mailtour/aol/en-us/text.htm?ncid=aolcmp0
> 0050000000003


From johnadeg at comcast.net  Tue Nov 27 22:01:53 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Tue Nov 27 21:51:16 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] well, sorry, Dennis
Message-ID: <112820070401.29030.474CE831000EDFFE000071662216549976090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

Brad:

Who do you think supports the minor sports at NU if it isn't football and basketball.  If  those two programs continue to play to empty seats what do you think that the financial impact  will be on the other sports?  Title IX was an excuse to dump track and save a couple of bucks in my opinion

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Brad Wilson <bwdolphin146@yahoo.com>
> Yes, I know MOST fans couldn't care less about
> anything other than football and men's hoops, but that
> doesn't mean I can't, and I do. 
> 
> Frankly, I care a lot more about wrestling than I do
> basketball, and anybody that wants to see NU win a
> national men's title anytime soon should as well.
> Heck, I'd like to see track make a comeback.
> 
> I do suspect, too, that many people actually at NU
> judge the athletic department not merely on the big
> two sports, but as a whole. The smaller sports are
> part of campus life in a way the bigger ones sometime
> are not.
> 
> I do know that I am lot more likely to support an
> athletic program if overall excellence is achieved.
> Others may differ, and I certainly would not denigrate
> their point of view. 
> 
> But to ignore the grace, skill, achievement and
> athleticism of the non-revenue sports is, to me, to
> miss much of the joy and passion of college athletics.
> In this case, 95 percent of the people are, I believe,
> missing out. Too bad.
> 
> Brad Wilson
> 
> 
> 
>   
> 
> "Happy are those who see beauty in the modest spots where others see nothing." 
> -- Camille Pissaro
> 
> "Quis ipsos custodes custodiet?" -- Juvenal
> 
> 
>       
> ________________________________________________________________________________
> ____
> Be a better pen pal. 
> Text or chat with friends inside Yahoo! Mail. See how.  
> http://overview.mail.yahoo.com/
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From pcw at warnerpatents.com  Tue Nov 27 22:27:12 2007
From: pcw at warnerpatents.com (Peter C. Warner)
Date: Tue Nov 27 22:17:32 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Basketball
In-Reply-To: <c37.1c6dc69b.347e3236@aol.com>
References: <c37.1c6dc69b.347e3236@aol.com>
Message-ID: <000601c83176$f3427560$6400a8c0@Latitude>

Is that the biggest loss margin by any Div. IA team to another in the
history of the NCAA?

-----Original Message-----

We  lost 150-32 tonight to Virginia, a few days after losing to...the  Brown

Bears?  Sounds like a punchline.  They are so bogus.



From Alan.Abrahamson at nbcsports.com  Tue Nov 27 22:32:32 2007
From: Alan.Abrahamson at nbcsports.com (Abrahamson, Alan (NBC Universal))
Date: Tue Nov 27 22:23:31 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] virgina 94, wildcats 52
Message-ID: <33C4F11DF8639640A51C79CB484166FF031D2744@RKFMLVEM02.e2k.ad.ge.com>

Bad enough but not 150-32. Let's not all commence the harikari sessions
just yet.
 
 
From neonrye at aol.com  Tue Nov 27 22:39:45 2007
From: neonrye at aol.com (neonrye@aol.com)
Date: Tue Nov 27 22:30:03 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
In-Reply-To: <112820070355.11505.474CE6AA0005EF2000002CF12216549976090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
References: <112820070355.11505.474CE6AA0005EF2000002CF12216549976090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <1456925879-1196224788-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-511068115-@bxe129.bisx.prod.on.blackberry>

 Not true, although I protested the War, like some of my friends on this list.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: johnadeg@comcast.net

Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2007 03:55:22 
To:neonrye@aol.com, MHRJGScott@aol.com, nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340


Why do you think that no real success has been accomplished despite what Murphy has been able to accomplish.
Bringing Bush into th equation is a joke.  He comes closer to being a Dem than a Republican.  The issue is the influence of the liberal faculty.  Read some of the comments in this chat room and you'll find my views aren't a national sampling of one.  You might recall some of the faculty comments after Barnett brought NU out of football oblivion.  They were shocked and anguished.  YOur comments suggest to me that in your undergraduate days you may have been one of those people running up and down the street with  a North Vietnam flag.  

John DeGroat 
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: neonrye@aol.com
> 
>  John,
> 
> I am a progressive (moderate liberal---not as one-sided as in my younger days, 
> with a fondness now for balanced budgets and other more "conservative" 
> concepts), and I love sports and want to see NU succeed on the athletic fields.? 
> Does that make me an anomaly, or are your stereotypes simplistic and detached 
> from reality.? President Bush is also a sports nut, the one thing I have in 
> common with the man, and is also a conservative and a profound failure.? Does 
> that mean I should put down all conservatives who love sports, because a leading 
> example is such a horrible leader for our nation?? Why tar the entire NU faculty 
> with a brush that has nothing to do with their attitude towards athletics?? 
> 
> Paul Levinson
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: johnadeg@comcast.net
> To: MHRJGScott@aol.com; nwu-sports@tssi.com
> Sent: Tue, 27 Nov 2007 4:22 pm
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> What do you expect from a left wing oriented faculty?
> 
> John DeGroat
>  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: MHRJGScott@aol.com
> >  
> > In a message dated 11/26/2007 6:41:37 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
> > CHerron604@aol.com writes:
> > 
> > The  athletic department.  Zero marketing, a microscopic  presence in the  
> > Chicago sports media, miserable game day services (traffic  control,  
> > parking, 
> > concessions).  This group has failed miserably.   I  will predict, however, 
> > that 
> > they will excel at getting out the  season ticket  renewal forms quickly, and 
> > they will cash each of our  renewal checks faster than  Tyrell Sutton hits a  
> > hole
> > 
> > 
> > Chuck is so right on about this, the faculty (which controls the  university, 
> > make no mistake), is embarrassed about playing football (see U of  Chicago 
> > circa 1920), and only allows it if the administration does not get  carried 
> away 
> > and pay the coaches, like market salaries. We are  doomed.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest 
> > products.
> > (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
> > _______________________________________________
> > nwu-sports site list
> > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> 
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
> ________________________________________________________________________
> More new features than ever.  Check out the new AOL Mail ! - 
> http://o.aolcdn.com/cdn.webmail.aol.com/mailtour/aol/en-us/text.htm?ncid=aolcmp0
> 0050000000003



_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports


From artmiller1 at hotmail.com  Tue Nov 27 23:00:03 2007
From: artmiller1 at hotmail.com (Arthur Miller)
Date: Tue Nov 27 22:49:43 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Murphy close to leaving
Message-ID: <BAY106-DAV8170C8A2FC6433C22B5EB8A770@phx.gbl>

Per the Green Bay newspaper, Mark Murphy is now in negotiations with the
Green Bay Packers as their #1 choice.

What a month.we could really use some good news around here, for a change.


From johnl at mac.com  Wed Nov 28 00:42:40 2007
From: johnl at mac.com (John Labbe)
Date: Wed Nov 28 00:31:56 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Murphy close to leaving
In-Reply-To: <BAY106-DAV8170C8A2FC6433C22B5EB8A770@phx.gbl>
References: <BAY106-DAV8170C8A2FC6433C22B5EB8A770@phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <8DB11E5E-671A-4D5C-8B4A-E174DB55F52B@mac.com>

Yeah, it appears this is practically a done deal.  I assume this is  
the article you were referring to:

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071127/PKR01/71127209

That's bad news.

John



On Nov 27, 2007, at 11:00 PM, Arthur Miller wrote:

> Per the Green Bay newspaper, Mark Murphy is now in negotiations with  
> the
> Green Bay Packers as their #1 choice.
>
> What a month.we could really use some good news around here, for a  
> change.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From sjtruog at yahoo.com  Wed Nov 28 00:48:11 2007
From: sjtruog at yahoo.com (SjT (Stephen J. Truog))
Date: Wed Nov 28 00:37:29 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Sheesh people ...
In-Reply-To: <8C9FF7E4148FB4B-E44-3C6F@webmail-mf02.sysops.aol.com>
Message-ID: <538826.65930.qm@web52903.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

... so much for any holiday cheer on the list.:)
Yeesh! Can we please get a little perspective and stop
being such sourpusses? An offseason of this and we may
just walk in front of a bus to feel better.

If all you're going to keep saying is "high
expectations" then please do something about it at
least. Just saying it doesn't make it happen. Like
NU's academic reputation, athletic success will take a
lot of time and effort to build up. We can bemoan the
past all we want and what wasn't done, but it won't
change anything. Build for the future and be realistic
about what can be accomplished and when. We will never
be Ohio State, and frankly, thank goodness for that.
We are an academic institution first and I'm proud
that NU can excel in that and still manage to be a
competitive Big Ten institution. If you want Florida
or OSU like numbers, you're in the wrong place. We are
NU - and proud of it.

And yes, we ARE competing. And better. This isn't a
professional league and ALL sports do matter. When you
look at the NU athletic department, our basketball
programs are the exception, not the rule. Doesn't mean
we can't work on that - but it does mean that any talk
of dropping out of the league or not being competitive
in the league is just foolish. We've won three
football titles since 1995 and had more .500 or better
seasons in the past decade than the previous four
combined.

Was the past season on the gridiron disappointing?
Yes. Was it reason to start jumping off the high rise
condos in Evanston? No. We were one game from a bowl
bid (likely) and we saw how close that one game was.
We're in the second year of a young coach's hopefully
long career and we're at six wins with a lot of talent
coming back next year. I, for one, am optimistic about
the future of NU football and most NU sports.

Northwestern is Northwestern. That's not a bad thing.
Or an excuse. It's just reality. We will always be an
academic institution first and I'm thankful for and
proud of that. Why try and be like OSU?

So let's please move on to something else - like how
we might be losing a terrific AD or the wrestling
season or spring football or bowl topics or ANYTHING
to get off this tired thread where it seems all
perspective has been lost. It'll be 15 years next fall
since I entered NU and aside for hoops, we're miles
ahead of where we were then. Done yet? No.
Competitive? No doubt.

It's as if our ridiculous NCLB-driven federal
educational approach has taken over the list and all
we do is scream "high expectations or else" at a
problem instead of actually looking realistically at a
situation, addressing problems and finding out what
needs to be done for improvement.

UGH ... let's get a reality check, drink up some
holiday cheer and move on to a better 2008!

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog@yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!


      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Never miss a thing.  Make Yahoo your home page. 
http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

From Alan.Abrahamson at nbcsports.com  Wed Nov 28 00:46:42 2007
From: Alan.Abrahamson at nbcsports.com (Abrahamson, Alan (NBC Universal))
Date: Wed Nov 28 00:38:14 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Murphy to Packers
Message-ID: <33C4F11DF8639640A51C79CB484166FF031D2749@RKFMLVEM02.e2k.ad.ge.com>

Per www.laketheposts.com (must reading for everyone on this list),
Murphy is the Packer choice:
http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071127/PKR01/711
27209
 Great for Mark, who is one of the really good guys and who totally
deserves this Packer gig, one of the best jobs in sports.
 Depending on the successor, of course, this could also be a major,
major bummer for the Wildcat athletic program, and in particular the
football team. Mark gets it. We can only hope that his successor does as
well.
 
 
From CHerron604 at aol.com  Wed Nov 28 01:12:03 2007
From: CHerron604 at aol.com (CHerron604@aol.com)
Date: Wed Nov 28 01:02:41 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Murphy to Packers
Message-ID: <d60.16dab28c.347e6ec3@aol.com>

We need an inspired move at AD - something like the inspired moves Rocky  
Wirtz has been making with the Chicago Blackhawks (stealing marketing guru John  
McDonough from the Cubs).  How about Ron Guenther for AD ?  Gary  Barnett ?  
Stanford's AD ?  Duke's AD ?  Southern Cal's AD  ? 
 
No sense looking at this as a negative - we have to look at it as an  
opportunity for an inspired choice, and Bienen is as likely to make an inspired  
choice as anyone.
 
(The cynic in me wants to kick Bill Carmody 'up' into the AD's office - and  
get him off the basketball court...) 
 
Chuck Herron   Tech '85
 
PS - has anybody heard from Doug Single lately ?  or Bruce Corrie  ?



**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest 
products.
(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
From jason at jasonsinger.com  Wed Nov 28 01:32:00 2007
From: jason at jasonsinger.com (Jason Singer)
Date: Wed Nov 28 01:21:44 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Murphy to Packers
In-Reply-To: <d60.16dab28c.347e6ec3@aol.com>
Message-ID: <200711280732.lAS7WRXo015024@host14.webserver1010.com>

Doug Single! Yikes. What a scary man he was! Always got the feeling he was
making it up as he went along! Rumour was he was having an affair with the
Lady Cat Coach (who I adored, Jalinda Davis) which may have accelerated  his
departure. Francis Peay was his choice...no? Let's hope the next AD emulates
someone other than him. Of course, he was the one who pushed to make Willie
a real part of the Wildcat team (adding three suits and putting him at more
games)

Anyone notice today that Anucha Browne became head of marketing at
University of Buffalo? Odd, considering she was just awarded 12 million
(after contingency and/or lawyer fees and then taxes, probably more like 4
million). I don't know that with that kinda of stash I'd move to Buffalo
(unless her family is there). I will say that I am intimately involved in
the MSG scandal and can say that while I'm happy she took the high road
after her victory by making folks look at the very real issue of harassment
in the workplace, I know for a fact that she is not clean as a whistle in
all this and I wonder if that had something to do with her ending up in
Buffalo. Believe me, I am not defending Messrs. Thomas or Dolen, I just know
that in this whole scenario there were no winners and the biggest losers
were the employees and fans of MSG and the Knicks. How Thomas has kept his
job is just unbelievable.

So...add Dolen and Thomas to the list of people NOT to use as role models
when seeking the next AD. Plus I don't think a Knicks mascot will help
attendance at MSG any.

Jason Singer  SP86


-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of CHerron604@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 11:12 PM
To: Alan.Abrahamson@nbcsports.com; nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Murphy to Packers

We need an inspired move at AD - something like the inspired moves Rocky  
Wirtz has been making with the Chicago Blackhawks (stealing marketing guru
John  
McDonough from the Cubs).  How about Ron Guenther for AD ?  Gary  Barnett ?

Stanford's AD ?  Duke's AD ?  Southern Cal's AD  ? 
 
No sense looking at this as a negative - we have to look at it as an  
opportunity for an inspired choice, and Bienen is as likely to make an
inspired  
choice as anyone.
 
(The cynic in me wants to kick Bill Carmody 'up' into the AD's office - and

get him off the basketball court...) 
 
Chuck Herron   Tech '85
 
PS - has anybody heard from Doug Single lately ?  or Bruce Corrie  ?



**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest

products.
(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From christopher_bailey at yahoo.com  Wed Nov 28 01:41:41 2007
From: christopher_bailey at yahoo.com (Christopher Bailey)
Date: Wed Nov 28 01:31:01 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] can we stop with the politics PLEASE
Message-ID: <9008.40530.qm@web50902.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

This is the nwu-SPORTS list.  I don't care about the political leanings of anyone on this list, on the faculty, in the athletic department, on the field or in the administration.

As for those that would argue NU should only focus football and basketball, sorry, but Title IX has done you in.  Deal with it.

Oh, and this just in: the University has announced that fields of study without waiting lists to get in and overflowing classrooms are being removed from the curriculum.

And to think people call ME a Grinch.

LET'S MOVE IT ALONG PEOPLE.

PS - For those who hadn't already figured it out, the official score in the basketball game was 94-52 not 150-32. 

Christopher Bailey
christopher_bailey@yahoo.com






From whosonfirst81 at yahoo.com  Wed Nov 28 03:22:52 2007
From: whosonfirst81 at yahoo.com (Ben Adler)
Date: Wed Nov 28 03:12:07 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
Message-ID: <91444.74094.qm@web60719.mail.yahoo.com>

Or...maybe Murphy IS just leaving for the money.  Imagine that!  After all, if players, coaches, trainers and even broadcasters (sorry, Musberger-haters) can drop their educations or jobs at a moment's notice to turn pro, why can't athletic directors?

We all love to speculate, and fit every little thing that happens into our own personal world views -- in politics as well as sports, that's for sure -- but there's absolutely no evidence that Murphy left in a dispute over the direction of the Athletic Department with Henry Bienen, Patrick Ryan, Arthur Butz, the Medill dean who thinks marketing is the new journalism, my third cousin once removed's ex-girlfriend, or anyone else.

That said, I'm very sorry to see Murphy go as well.  A lot's been said about his influence at NU, so I'll just speak to one area I know very well: WNUR.  While the Athletic Department under Rick Taylor pushed the station away, Mark Murphy embraced it.  Just one example: Anyone who listened to Lacrosse championship broadcasts or Women's College World Series games the last few years (and there were a TON of you, because you maxed out WNUR's web server) can thank Murphy for his role in encouraging the cooperation that made those expensive broadcasts possible.  Huge benefit to the university?  Maybe not.  The logical -- and classy -- thing to do, for the players, their families and the student broadcasters?  You bet.

-- Ben

----- Original Message ----
From: "johnadeg@comcast.net" <johnadeg@comcast.net>
To: rstetson@capps-assoc.com; MHRJGScott@aol.com; nwu-sports@tssi.com
Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 7:44:34 PM
Subject: RE: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340

But NU's  left wing oriented faculty doesn't support NU sports.  MY guess is that the reason that Murphy might or will leave is aside from money that he probably has not been allowed to do what he thinks needs to be done  to have a first class basketball and football programs.  Too bad, he will be a great loss if he leave.  If he does leave his replacement will probably be another Ivy Leaguer who has no clue about how to run a Big Ten program.

John DeGroat


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From mlinhardt at netzero.net  Wed Nov 28 07:00:00 2007
From: mlinhardt at netzero.net (mlinhardt@netzero.net)
Date: Wed Nov 28 06:52:06 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
Message-ID: <20071128.070000.10372.2@webmail02.dca.untd.com>

Money?

If he were leaving for Michigan I would say it was money related.  

He is leaving for the highest job in sports management.  Other than a few baseball presidiencies(Yankees) the NFL is the Numero Uno job.

It is unfortunate if he goes, but I don't think the university could have(or should have) done anything if he was inclined in advancing his career.

To me this shows that Northwestern is not a dead end where your career goes to die.  My wife has her best employees promoted away from her deparment.  Does she disparage this?  No, because it shows that if you want to advance, work for her and she will highlight your talent and help your career.

Any thoughts who an academic small school AD that might be looking for a buck up?  How about a NBA executive with a Northwestern degree looking to come back to chicago?

-- Ben Adler <whosonfirst81@yahoo.com> wrote:
Or...maybe Murphy IS just leaving for the money.  Imagine that!  After all, if players, coaches, trainers and even broadcasters (sorry, Musberger-haters) can drop their educations or jobs at a moment's notice to turn pro, why can't athletic directors?

We all love to speculate, and fit every little thing that happens into our own personal world views -- in politics as well as sports, that's for sure -- but there's absolutely no evidence that Murphy left in a dispute over the direction of the Athletic Department with Henry Bienen, Patrick Ryan, Arthur Butz, the Medill dean who thinks marketing is the new journalism, my third cousin once removed's ex-girlfriend, or anyone else.

That said, I'm very sorry to see Murphy go as well.  A lot's been said about his influence at NU, so I'll just speak to one area I know very well: WNUR.  While the Athletic Department under Rick Taylor pushed the station away, Mark Murphy embraced it.  Just one example: Anyone who listened to Lacrosse championship broadcasts or Women's College World Series games the last few years (and there were a TON of you, because you maxed out WNUR's web server) can thank Murphy for his role in encouraging the cooperation that made those expensive broadcasts possible.  Huge benefit to the university?  Maybe not.  The logical -- and classy -- thing to do, for the players, their families and the student broadcasters?  You bet.

-- Ben

----- Original Message ----
From: "johnadeg@comcast.net" <johnadeg@comcast.net>
To: rstetson@capps-assoc.com; MHRJGScott@aol.com; nwu-sports@tssi.com
Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 7:44:34 PM
Subject: RE: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340

But NU's  left wing oriented faculty doesn't support NU sports.  MY guess is that the reason that Murphy might or will leave is aside from money that he probably has not been allowed to do what he thinks needs to be done  to have a first class basketball and football programs.  Too bad, he will be a great loss if he leave.  If he does leave his replacement will probably be another Ivy Leaguer who has no clue about how to run a Big Ten program.

John DeGroat


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From prplehaze at insightbb.com  Wed Nov 28 07:56:03 2007
From: prplehaze at insightbb.com (Mark Ament)
Date: Wed Nov 28 07:46:41 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Murphy to Packers
In-Reply-To: <d60.16dab28c.347e6ec3@aol.com>
Message-ID: <000b01c831c6$6a1ed3f0$6400a8c0@PC244461808863>

I agree that an inspired choice is important but under no circumstances
should that be the Duke AD.  He has done nothing but cover himself and his
institution in shame and disgrace.  Alleva was the first Duke official to
mishandle the lacrosse incident but not the last. Not only did he disgrace
himself there, firing the lacrosse coach for no reason among other mistakes,
he has hired two of the worst football coaches Duke has ever had.

 

There are some inspired choices out there just as Murphy was, it's just that
Alleva isn't one of them, nor do I think Barnett is.  He hasn't shown a
particular gift for being an administrator.  Approaching Stanford's AD is a
good idea and Bienen made a good choice with Murphy and is likely to find a
good successor.  Losing Murphy is a hit but also an opportunity.

Mark

 

 

SportsBiz  <http://thesportsbizblog.blogspot.com/> - The Business of Sports
Illuminated

When it comes to sports, you know it's all about

the money.

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of CHerron604@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 2:12 AM
To: Alan.Abrahamson@nbcsports.com; nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Murphy to Packers

 

We need an inspired move at AD - something like the inspired moves Rocky  

Wirtz has been making with the Chicago Blackhawks (stealing marketing guru
John  

McDonough from the Cubs).  How about Ron Guenther for AD ?  Gary  Barnett ?


Stanford's AD ?  Duke's AD ?  Southern Cal's AD  ? 

 

No sense looking at this as a negative - we have to look at it as an  

opportunity for an inspired choice, and Bienen is as likely to make an
inspired  

choice as anyone.

 

(The cynic in me wants to kick Bill Carmody 'up' into the AD's office - and


get him off the basketball court...) 

 

Chuck Herron   Tech '85

 

PS - has anybody heard from Doug Single lately ?  or Bruce Corrie  ?

 

 

 

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From jleonard518 at yahoo.com  Wed Nov 28 08:08:06 2007
From: jleonard518 at yahoo.com (Jim Leonard)
Date: Wed Nov 28 07:57:19 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] AD Replacements
Message-ID: <449701.17985.qm@web36813.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

OK, I have abandoned my hope that Vanderlinden will ever return to the sidelines as our DC. However, maybe he would consider a return to Evanston as our our Athletic Director. I would sure appreciate seeing his knowledge of defense and energy for recruiting back at NU. I think he'd be a great mentor to Fitz. 
 
I realize it's never going to happen, just fun list-serv banter. 
 
Victory & Honor,
Jim


----- Original Message ----
From: "CHerron604@aol.com" <CHerron604@aol.com>
To: Alan.Abrahamson@nbcsports.com; nwu-sports@tssi.com
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 1:12:03 AM
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Murphy to Packers

We need an inspired move at AD - something like the inspired moves Rocky  
Wirtz has been making with the Chicago Blackhawks (stealing marketing guru John  
McDonough from the Cubs).  How about Ron Guenther for AD ?  Gary   Barnett ?  
Stanford's AD ?  Duke's AD ?  Southern Cal's AD  ? 

No sense looking at this as a negative - we have to look at it as an  
opportunity for an inspired choice, and Bienen is as likely to make an inspired  
choice as anyone.

(The cynic in me wants to kick Bill Carmody 'up' into the AD's office - and  
get him off the basketball court...) 

Chuck Herron  Tech '85

PS - has anybody heard from Doug Single lately ?  or Bruce Corrie  ?



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From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Wed Nov 28 08:17:06 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Wed Nov 28 08:07:21 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] AD Replacements
In-Reply-To: <449701.17985.qm@web36813.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
References: <449701.17985.qm@web36813.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711280617p628bf569q5fc6136d1b4d0f41@mail.gmail.com>

The thing is, the Athletic Director position is about a lot more than just
football, and I think what Murphy has done is shaped a well-rounded athletic
program at NU while still paying attention to football (since his personal
background is in football, of course).  Obviously basketball is still
lacking, but he has the entire program headed in the right direction.

Will NU be able to pull a current high profile AD in?  No.  Will they be
able to pull in a big name from a higher level or a former coach?  No.
Personally, I don't think they should, either.  They made a great call
bringing in Murphy from Colgate, a smaller/lower profile position and
letting him develop at Northwestern.  I hope that Northwestern would like to
continue this by bringing in someone who will continue the work that Murphy
has already started - which means someone with the same philosophy of how to
run the department and not someone who will come in and shake things up
(well everything except basketball which needs something shaken up).  Also,
it would make perfect sense to bring in someone with previous AD or athletic
administration experience and not just some "name" who was a coach at NU or
elsewhere recently.

Anyways I am confident that the university will make a wise choice and will
not cave in into our (fans') rumblings.  Hopefully Murphy himself will help
out in the transitional period and point out some good candidates.  Anyways
best of luck to him - and he deserves a promotion and a chance to excel at a
higher level - I think most if not all of us would take the chance if were
put in the same situation.

Jonathan

On Nov 28, 2007 8:08 AM, Jim Leonard <jleonard518@yahoo.com> wrote:

> OK, I have abandoned my hope that Vanderlinden will ever return to the
> sidelines as our DC. However, maybe he would consider a return to Evanston
> as our our Athletic Director. I would sure appreciate seeing his knowledge
> of defense and energy for recruiting back at NU. I think he'd be a great
> mentor to Fitz.
>
> I realize it's never going to happen, just fun list-serv banter.
>
> Victory & Honor,
> Jim
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: "CHerron604@aol.com" <CHerron604@aol.com>
> To: Alan.Abrahamson@nbcsports.com; nwu-sports@tssi.com
> Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 1:12:03 AM
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Murphy to Packers
>
> We need an inspired move at AD - something like the inspired moves Rocky
> Wirtz has been making with the Chicago Blackhawks (stealing marketing guru
> John
> McDonough from the Cubs).  How about Ron Guenther for AD ?  Gary   Barnett
> ?
> Stanford's AD ?  Duke's AD ?  Southern Cal's AD  ?
>
> No sense looking at this as a negative - we have to look at it as an
> opportunity for an inspired choice, and Bienen is as likely to make an
> inspired
> choice as anyone.
>
> (The cynic in me wants to kick Bill Carmody 'up' into the AD's office -
> and
> get him off the basketball court...)
>
> Chuck Herron  Tech '85
>
> PS - has anybody heard from Doug Single lately ?  or Bruce Corrie  ?
>
>
>
> **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's
> hottest
> products.
> (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>
>
>
>  ____________________________________________________________________________________
> Get easy, one-click access to your favorites.
> Make Yahoo! your homepage.
> http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
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>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From s.fridley at comcast.net  Wed Nov 28 09:03:11 2007
From: s.fridley at comcast.net (s.fridley@comcast.net)
Date: Wed Nov 28 08:52:33 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] AD Replacements
Message-ID: <112820071503.20156.474D832F000DC45400004EBC2207021573970A040B079D00D29C@comcast.net>

I think Murphy is well-positioned to be of assistance in identifying potential candidates as his successor.  Murphy is on the board of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, so he's in a position to know the membership and probably could help identify a few up-and-comers.
 -------------- Original message ----------------------

> 
> Anyways I am confident that the university will make a wise choice and will
> not cave in into our (fans') rumblings.  Hopefully Murphy himself will help
> out in the transitional period and point out some good candidates.  Anyways
> best of luck to him - and he deserves a promotion and a chance to excel at a
> higher level - I think most if not all of us would take the chance if were
> put in the same situation.
> 
> Jonathan
> 
> 

From nolan at romaine.tssi.com  Wed Nov 28 09:47:28 2007
From: nolan at romaine.tssi.com (Mike Nolan)
Date: Wed Nov 28 09:47:33 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] AD Replacements
Message-ID: <200711281547.lASFlSpp004773@romaine.tssi.com>

> OK, I have abandoned my hope that Vanderlinden will ever return to the sidelines as our DC. However, maybe he would consider a return to Evanston as our our Athletic Director. I would sure appreciate seeing his knowledge of defense and energy for recruiting back at NU. I think he'd be a great mentor to Fitz. 

Good coaches don't necessarily make good ADs, and in Nebraska's case someone
who couldn't make it as a football coach (Steve Pederson) turned out to be 
a disastrous choice as AD.  

Choose wisely, Northwestern!
--
Mike Nolan

From jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com  Wed Nov 28 10:23:00 2007
From: jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com (Jeff Beamsley)
Date: Wed Nov 28 10:12:56 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] AD Replacements
In-Reply-To: <112820071503.20156.474D832F000DC45400004EBC2207021573970A040B079D00D29C@comcast.net>
References: <112820071503.20156.474D832F000DC45400004EBC2207021573970A040B079D00D29C@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C0120B954@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>

As others have already said, Murphy's potential hiring very good news.  

You can complain all you want about how BAD athletics are at NU, but as the
old say goes, money talks, and everything else walks.

The Packers are one of the premiere organizations in the NFL.  They are a
small market team that has a shot at the superbowl this year.

They could have their choice of candidates and have several in their own
organization.  The fact that they appear to be going outside their own
organization for person who has no NFL management experience speaks volumes
of their opinion of what Murphy has accomplished at Northwestern as well as
at Colgate.

If he does get the job, it will be sad to see him go, but the circumstances
couldn't be more flattering to NU.  He is not leaving for another college
job.  An NFL team has told the world that they felt that the guy running the
NU football program was their best choice to run one of the most prestigious
NFL organizations in the league.  Clearly something good is going on at NU.

If he does get the job, I'm sure that he will leave the organization with the
same class and professionalism that he demonstrated on the job.  If he
doesn't already have an internal candidate that he feels can take over the
position, I'm sure he will at least have a list of external candidates for
Bienen to review so that the progress that he has made can continue. For all
we know, he may have already have someone teed up.  The first thing the best
executives do is groom their replacement.

Jeff








-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of s.fridley@comcast.net
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 10:03 AM
To: Jonathan Hodges
Cc: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] AD Replacements

I think Murphy is well-positioned to be of assistance in identifying
potential candidates as his successor.  Murphy is on the board of the
National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, so he's in a
position to know the membership and probably could help identify a few
up-and-comers.
 -------------- Original message ----------------------

> 
> Anyways I am confident that the university will make a wise choice and 
> will not cave in into our (fans') rumblings.  Hopefully Murphy himself 
> will help out in the transitional period and point out some good 
> candidates.  Anyways best of luck to him - and he deserves a promotion 
> and a chance to excel at a higher level - I think most if not all of 
> us would take the chance if were put in the same situation.
> 
> Jonathan
> 
> 

_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From MHRJGScott at aol.com  Wed Nov 28 10:47:37 2007
From: MHRJGScott at aol.com (MHRJGScott@aol.com)
Date: Wed Nov 28 10:41:04 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] AD Replacements
Message-ID: <d64.173ac4a9.347ef5a9@aol.com>

Maybe he will not get the job,
 
_http://greenbaypressgazette.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage_ 
(http://greenbaypressgazette.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage) 
 
but of course then he is kind of a lame duck, just the fact that he was  
looking shows the lack of commitment by NU to big time  athletics.



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From Alan.Abrahamson at nbcsports.com  Wed Nov 28 11:14:07 2007
From: Alan.Abrahamson at nbcsports.com (Abrahamson, Alan (NBC Universal))
Date: Wed Nov 28 11:05:16 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] AD Replacements
In-Reply-To: <d64.173ac4a9.347ef5a9@aol.com>
References: <d64.173ac4a9.347ef5a9@aol.com>
Message-ID: <33C4F11DF8639640A51C79CB484166FF031D2751@RKFMLVEM02.e2k.ad.ge.com>

You know, it may be that NU is showing a "lack of commitment" to
big-time athletics (though I would sharply dispute the point).
 Or it may simply be that Murphy has the opportunity to move to one of
the premier jobs in all of American sports.
 

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com]
On Behalf Of MHRJGScott@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 8:48 AM
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] AD Replacements

Maybe he will not get the job,
 
_http://greenbaypressgazette.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage_
(http://greenbaypressgazette.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage) 
 
but of course then he is kind of a lame duck, just the fact that he was
looking shows the lack of commitment by NU to big time  athletics.



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From jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com  Wed Nov 28 11:31:41 2007
From: jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com (Jeff Beamsley)
Date: Wed Nov 28 11:21:35 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] AD Replacements
In-Reply-To: <d64.173ac4a9.347ef5a9@aol.com>
References: <d64.173ac4a9.347ef5a9@aol.com>
Message-ID: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C0120B983@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>

Where did this article say that he was looking for a job?

He is clearly highly respected among his peers.  He just won an AD of the
year award.  His teams have won national championships.  He got a lot of
press for taking a risk in selecting PF as RW's replacement and helping
manage that whole transition.  Isn't it just possible that someone he knows
thought of him when this job came open and gave him a call?

The reward for taking a risky high visibility position is that success is
going to attract the interest of other employers who are also looking for
people they can trust to be their face to the public.

It's a great job and he clearly has earned the opportunity to compete for it.

Why should this imply anything bad about him or NU?

Jeff


-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of MHRJGScott@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 11:48 AM
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] AD Replacements

Maybe he will not get the job,
 
_http://greenbaypressgazette.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage_
(http://greenbaypressgazette.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage) 
 
but of course then he is kind of a lame duck, just the fact that he was
looking shows the lack of commitment by NU to big time  athletics.



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From johnadeg at comcast.net  Wed Nov 28 11:52:17 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Wed Nov 28 11:41:41 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Murphy close to leaving
Message-ID: <112820071752.27446.474DAAD1000595E100006B362216525856090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

What a loss!  My guess is that Bienen and faculty wouldn't let Murphy do what he wanted to do.  
that plus the act that the Packers can pay him better.  NU could pay him more but the faculty would all start to squawk about that sort of like when the Harvard faculty squawked about paying the guy running the endowment fund  what he could get elsewhere which ended up with his leaving to run his own fund.

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Arthur Miller" <artmiller1@hotmail.com>
> Per the Green Bay newspaper, Mark Murphy is now in negotiations with the
> Green Bay Packers as their #1 choice.
> 
> What a month.we could really use some good news around here, for a change.
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From johnadeg at comcast.net  Wed Nov 28 12:04:35 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Wed Nov 28 11:54:04 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Murphy to Packers
Message-ID: <112820071804.14968.474DADAD000E847100003A782216525856090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

A guy like Murphy doesn't  come along every day.  NU has had some pretty bad ADs in the past such as his predecessor replacing Murphy will be virtually impossible.

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Abrahamson, Alan (NBC Universal)" <Alan.Abrahamson@nbcsports.com>
> Per www.laketheposts.com (must reading for everyone on this list),
> Murphy is the Packer choice:
> http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071127/PKR01/711
> 27209
>  Great for Mark, who is one of the really good guys and who totally
> deserves this Packer gig, one of the best jobs in sports.
>  Depending on the successor, of course, this could also be a major,
> major bummer for the Wildcat athletic program, and in particular the
> football team. Mark gets it. We can only hope that his successor does as
> well.
>  
>  
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From johnadeg at comcast.net  Wed Nov 28 12:17:53 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Wed Nov 28 12:07:17 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
Message-ID: <112820071817.9049.474DB0D1000A5407000023592216525856090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

NU doesn't need any more Ivy League influence.  NU needs an AD who knows his way around big time sports.  Carmody is a perfect example of why to stay out of the Ivy League when it comes to sports.

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "mlinhardt@netzero.net" <mlinhardt@netzero.net>
> Money?
> 
> If he were leaving for Michigan I would say it was money related.  
> 
> He is leaving for the highest job in sports management.  Other than a few 
> baseball presidiencies(Yankees) the NFL is the Numero Uno job.
> 
> It is unfortunate if he goes, but I don't think the university could have(or 
> should have) done anything if he was inclined in advancing his career.
> 
> To me this shows that Northwestern is not a dead end where your career goes to 
> die.  My wife has her best employees promoted away from her deparment.  Does she 
> disparage this?  No, because it shows that if you want to advance, work for her 
> and she will highlight your talent and help your career.
> 
> Any thoughts who an academic small school AD that might be looking for a buck 
> up?  How about a NBA executive with a Northwestern degree looking to come back 
> to chicago?
> 
> -- Ben Adler <whosonfirst81@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Or...maybe Murphy IS just leaving for the money.  Imagine that!  After all, if 
> players, coaches, trainers and even broadcasters (sorry, Musberger-haters) can 
> drop their educations or jobs at a moment's notice to turn pro, why can't 
> athletic directors?
> 
> We all love to speculate, and fit every little thing that happens into our own 
> personal world views -- in politics as well as sports, that's for sure -- but 
> there's absolutely no evidence that Murphy left in a dispute over the direction 
> of the Athletic Department with Henry Bienen, Patrick Ryan, Arthur Butz, the 
> Medill dean who thinks marketing is the new journalism, my third cousin once 
> removed's ex-girlfriend, or anyone else.
> 
> That said, I'm very sorry to see Murphy go as well.  A lot's been said about his 
> influence at NU, so I'll just speak to one area I know very well: WNUR.  While 
> the Athletic Department under Rick Taylor pushed the station away, Mark Murphy 
> embraced it.  Just one example: Anyone who listened to Lacrosse championship 
> broadcasts or Women's College World Series games the last few years (and there 
> were a TON of you, because you maxed out WNUR's web server) can thank Murphy for 
> his role in encouraging the cooperation that made those expensive broadcasts 
> possible.  Huge benefit to the university?  Maybe not.  The logical -- and 
> classy -- thing to do, for the players, their families and the student 
> broadcasters?  You bet.
> 
> -- Ben
> 
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: "johnadeg@comcast.net" <johnadeg@comcast.net>
> To: rstetson@capps-assoc.com; MHRJGScott@aol.com; nwu-sports@tssi.com
> Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 7:44:34 PM
> Subject: RE: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
> 
> But NU's  left wing oriented faculty doesn't support NU sports.  MY guess is 
> that the reason that Murphy might or will leave is aside from money that he 
> probably has not been allowed to do what he thinks needs to be done  to have a 
> first class basketball and football programs.  Too bad, he will be a great loss 
> if he leave.  If he does leave his replacement will probably be another Ivy 
> Leaguer who has no clue about how to run a Big Ten program.
> 
> John DeGroat
> 
> 
>       
> ________________________________________________________________________________
> ____
> Never miss a thing.  Make Yahoo your home page. 
> http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> 
> _____________________________________________________________
> Click for your daily horoscope, learn about money, love &amp; family.
> http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2211/fc/Ioyw6ijlJ40DJIQCjPhi33hIEqr63GIiD
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> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From johnadeg at comcast.net  Wed Nov 28 12:22:27 2007
From: johnadeg at comcast.net (johnadeg@comcast.net)
Date: Wed Nov 28 12:11:48 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] AD Replacements
Message-ID: <112820071822.27786.474DB1E300036C1600006C8A2216525856090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>

Your idea of Vandelindnen isn' that wild.  Read the Harrisburg, PA sports section and the comments about Paterno.  It's clear he won't leave unless its feet first.  Vanderlinden would be a great choice he has hit the career wall at Penn State as long as Paterno is there.

John DeGroat
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Jim Leonard <jleonard518@yahoo.com>
> OK, I have abandoned my hope that Vanderlinden will ever return to the sidelines 
> as our DC. However, maybe he would consider a return to Evanston as our our 
> Athletic Director. I would sure appreciate seeing his knowledge of defense and 
> energy for recruiting back at NU. I think he'd be a great mentor to Fitz. 
>  
> I realize it's never going to happen, just fun list-serv banter. 
>  
> Victory & Honor,
> Jim
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: "CHerron604@aol.com" <CHerron604@aol.com>
> To: Alan.Abrahamson@nbcsports.com; nwu-sports@tssi.com
> Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 1:12:03 AM
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Murphy to Packers
> 
> We need an inspired move at AD - something like the inspired moves Rocky  
> Wirtz has been making with the Chicago Blackhawks (stealing marketing guru John  
> McDonough from the Cubs).  How about Ron Guenther for AD ?  Gary   Barnett ?  
> Stanford's AD ?  Duke's AD ?  Southern Cal's AD  ? 
> 
> No sense looking at this as a negative - we have to look at it as an  
> opportunity for an inspired choice, and Bienen is as likely to make an inspired  
> choice as anyone.
> 
> (The cynic in me wants to kick Bill Carmody 'up' into the AD's office - and  
> get him off the basketball court...) 
> 
> Chuck Herron  Tech '85
> 
> PS - has anybody heard from Doug Single lately ?  or Bruce Corrie  ?
> 
> 
> 
> **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest 
> products.
> (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> 
> 
>       
> ________________________________________________________________________________
> ____
> Get easy, one-click access to your favorites. 
> Make Yahoo! your homepage.
> http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From nolan at romaine.tssi.com  Wed Nov 28 12:12:18 2007
From: nolan at romaine.tssi.com (Mike Nolan)
Date: Wed Nov 28 12:12:21 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] AD Replacements (fwd)
Message-ID: <200711281812.lASICIY4005670@romaine.tssi.com>

> but of course then he is kind of a lame duck, just the fact that he was  
> looking shows the lack of commitment by NU to big time  athletics.

Sorry, I disagree, the fact that he is even under serious consideration
for the job says positive things about what he's done at Northwestern.

I doubt there are many college ADs who wouldn't listen seriously to
an offer from an NFL team.  
--
Mike Nolan

From pcw at warnerpatents.com  Wed Nov 28 12:48:18 2007
From: pcw at warnerpatents.com (Peter C. Warner)
Date: Wed Nov 28 12:38:40 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] AD Replacements
In-Reply-To: <112820071822.27786.474DB1E300036C1600006C8A2216525856090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
References: <112820071822.27786.474DB1E300036C1600006C8A2216525856090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <000301c831ef$3ef02750$6400a8c0@Latitude>

I thought Vanderlinden would have been a great replacement for RW.  However,
reports were that one of the reasons that he lost his job at Maryland was
the fact he wasn't particularly congenial with the rich alums.  I.e., he
wouldn't make a very good AD.

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of johnadeg@comcast.net
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 11:22 AM
To: Jim Leonard; nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] AD Replacements

Your idea of Vandelindnen isn' that wild.  Read the Harrisburg, PA sports
section and the comments about Paterno.  It's clear he won't leave unless
its feet first.  Vanderlinden would be a great choice he has hit the career
wall at Penn State as long as Paterno is there.

John DeGroat



From CHerron604 at aol.com  Wed Nov 28 14:27:06 2007
From: CHerron604 at aol.com (CHerron604@aol.com)
Date: Wed Nov 28 14:20:13 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] AD Replacements
Message-ID: <d4e.19601082.347f291a@aol.com>

I would argue that the fact that MM was looking does not show a lack of  
commitment by NU, but actually shows a desire on MM's part to succeed at the  
highest level of his chosen profession.  There are 119 Div-I AD's, and  only 32 
NFL team presidents.  We could argue that if any one of us were the  NU AD, and 
it was made known to us that an NFL team wanted our services, we  would almost 
certainly listen to what they had to say, without implying, in any  way, that 
NU was not a first-rate institution (of course, we might have a bit  more 
loyalty to NU if we were alums).
 
Chuck Herron   Tech '85



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products.
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From CHerron604 at aol.com  Wed Nov 28 14:42:38 2007
From: CHerron604 at aol.com (CHerron604@aol.com)
Date: Wed Nov 28 14:33:14 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Murphy to Packers
Message-ID: <c1f.24343521.347f2cbe@aol.com>

My scorecard on NU AD's since I joined the family (Fall 1980 - biased, and  
subject to poor memory)
 
John Pont - BAD - probably a nice guy, but the appointment was the typical  
(for those days) lifetime achievement award, when a coach would get kicked  
upstairs.  He still presided over some very dark days.
 
Doug Single - GOOD - I remember the heady days when Single brought in Denny  
Green, and when we would see Single sitting on a strange sofa in McGaw Hall at 
 basketball games.  He did start the program back on the road to recovery,  
and his later posts (rebuilding SMU after the death penalty, Special Olympics  
CEO), show he was skilled at what he did.
 
Bruce Corrie - AVERAGE - I don't remember much good about Corrie, but I  
don't remember much bad, either.  A better appointment might have made  better 
progress across all programs.
 
Slick Rick - GOOD/BAD - We did achieve some great things during the Slick  
Rick era, but there were some bad things (his onfield 'Notre Dame' slip of  the 
tongue).  He didn't get the nickname by accident, clearly.  I am  also bitter 
that he converted our excellent box seats in the upper deck to bench  seats, 
all in the interest of the almighty dollar.
 
MM - GOOD (with a few hesitations) - presided over success in many  programs. 
 Some concerns did remain however.  He did allow the Mens  Basketball program 
to become more and more irrelevant, and he did not address  falling 
attendance at Ryan Field.  But overall, more positive than  negative.
 
Did I miss anybody ?  I seem to recall Bill Foster filling in as an  interim 
at some point, but the grade would have been the same (BAD) as his  'waiting 
for a pension' tenure as basketball coach.
 
Chuck Herron   Tech '85



**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest 
products.
(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
From tbng at comcast.net  Wed Nov 28 16:54:42 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Wed Nov 28 16:44:07 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
References: <112720072122.22923.474C8A83000C73170000598B2216554886090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
	<8C9FF7E4148FB4B-E44-3C6F@webmail-mf02.sysops.aol.com>
Message-ID: <000b01c83211$aa360940$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>

> President Bush is also a sports nut, the one thing I have in common with 
> the man, and is also a conservative and a profound failure.? Does that 
> mean I should put down all conservatives who love sports, because a 
> leading example is such a horrible leader for our nation??

Two opinions:  Bush is a profound failure, and he is a conservative.  Both 
are debatable.  The president's atrocious spending and his big-brother No 
Child Left Behind program are both pure liberalism.  I suspect NU's faculty 
is more elitist than it is liberal, although it no doubt is the latter, too. 
Elitism seems inherent at Northwestern.  There certainly was a lot of it 
when I attended and provides the one bad memory I have of the school.  Some 
of what I read here tells me that nothing has changed. 

From jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com  Wed Nov 28 17:35:01 2007
From: jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com (Jeff Beamsley)
Date: Wed Nov 28 17:24:56 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
In-Reply-To: <000b01c83211$aa360940$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
References: <112720072122.22923.474C8A83000C73170000598B2216554886090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net><8C9FF7E4148FB4B-E44-3C6F@webmail-mf02.sysops.aol.com>
	<000b01c83211$aa360940$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
Message-ID: <4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C0120B9EA@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>

Here's what has changed on this list.

It used to be about a shared experience and a love of NU sports.

It now appears that at least some would like it to become another front in
the culture wars.  

I can get plenty of conservative/liberal bombast from any number of sources.

What has been special about this list is the respect and tolerance that most
of the folks have had for those who didn't share their point of view.

Anyone who has been on this list for any length of time already knows what
everyone else's politics are anyway.  Those who are new to the list should
get a pass so that everyone else can get to know them too, but once you've
been here a while, show some better manners.  Some will agree with your
political views and some won't, but at the end of the day most of us really
want to talk about what we have in common (NU sports) not what we have in
difference.

I'm posting this message because I still have hope, but I'm growing tired of
wading through the political dreck and personal attacks to get to what I
originally joined this list more than ten years ago to read.  

Jeff


-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
Behalf Of Dennis W. Brandt
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 5:55 PM
To: nwu-sports@tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340

> President Bush is also a sports nut, the one thing I have in common 
> with the man, and is also a conservative and a profound failure.? Does 
> that mean I should put down all conservatives who love sports, because 
> a leading example is such a horrible leader for our nation??

Two opinions:  Bush is a profound failure, and he is a conservative.  Both
are debatable.  The president's atrocious spending and his big-brother No
Child Left Behind program are both pure liberalism.  I suspect NU's faculty
is more elitist than it is liberal, although it no doubt is the latter, too. 
Elitism seems inherent at Northwestern.  There certainly was a lot of it when
I attended and provides the one bad memory I have of the school.  Some of
what I read here tells me that nothing has changed. 

_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports@tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

From jonathanwhodges at gmail.com  Wed Nov 28 17:54:54 2007
From: jonathanwhodges at gmail.com (Jonathan Hodges)
Date: Wed Nov 28 17:45:09 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Murphy close to leaving
In-Reply-To: <112820071752.27446.474DAAD1000595E100006B362216525856090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
References: <112820071752.27446.474DAAD1000595E100006B362216525856090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <fcb3ee270711281554u605b1c9fwb2b07146eaccdf1f@mail.gmail.com>

I don't think Murphy leaving had anything to do with NU - I believe that he
was most likely paid well for a guy at this level and had the freedom to do
much of what he wanted, given the financial and academic restrictions at
Northwestern (given that he came from Colgate he had more freedom here at
NU).

I am sure there are 2 reasons:

1. Money: its an NFL position - professional sports have much deeper pockets
than a college program.  And money talks, even to loyal and dedicated guys.
2. Position: an NFL head position is basically the highest level he can
attain in sports administration (well besides something at commissioner
level) and you know what, congrats to him for showing that he has the
ability to succeed and should be given a chance at the next level.

Obviously NU will have tough shoes to fill and they must find someone who
can continue his success while also improving something that has needed it
for a long time: basketball.

Jonathan


On Nov 28, 2007 11:52 AM, <johnadeg@comcast.net> wrote:

> What a loss!  My guess is that Bienen and faculty wouldn't let Murphy do
> what he wanted to do.
> that plus the act that the Packers can pay him better.  NU could pay him
> more but the faculty would all start to squawk about that sort of like when
> the Harvard faculty squawked about paying the guy running the endowment fund
>  what he could get elsewhere which ended up with his leaving to run his own
> fund.
>
> John DeGroat
>  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: "Arthur Miller" <artmiller1@hotmail.com>
> > Per the Green Bay newspaper, Mark Murphy is now in negotiations with the
> > Green Bay Packers as their #1 choice.
> >
> > What a month.we could really use some good news around here, for a
> change.
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > nwu-sports site list
> > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
>



-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
1237 Emerson St Apt 2
Evanston, IL  60201-3577
(847) 736-2449
jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
From WildElk2 at aol.com  Wed Nov 28 18:43:46 2007
From: WildElk2 at aol.com (WildElk2@aol.com)
Date: Wed Nov 28 18:34:18 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] AD Replacements
Message-ID: <d05.2114cabd.347f6542@aol.com>

With all the talk of AD replacement, would a logical  presumption be that 
Colby is safe for at least one more year?  The fact  that he's had 6 years and 
our defense some how stunk more this year than last  makes me think that while 
his job may be safe in 2008, he better get results, as  in 2008.
   Additionally, how long will the new AD stick with  Carmedy?  
   FWIW:  I'm the one who reported the score as  150-32.  Purely frustration. 
 We need Coble back;  maybe we beat  Brown and DePaul with him, and the 
thrashing we took at Virginia wouldn't seem  so bad. Even with Coble, a sub-.500 
year looks likely.  As I've only been  able to listen, not watch, it seems 
Capocci and Ryan aren't ready for starting  roles.  
   Another thing:  Can b-ball red-shirt players like we do  in football?  If 
so, why don't we try it?  Maybe Coble should  red-shirt this season?  Than 
he'd have all season to take care of his  Mom.  A very noble thing that he's 
doing, that's for sure.
   Any word on how this week's (3) football practices went?   Atleast 6 wins 
got us that.
 
         GO  CATS!!!         Eric
 



**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest 
products.
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From CHerron604 at aol.com  Thu Nov 29 00:02:49 2007
From: CHerron604 at aol.com (CHerron604@aol.com)
Date: Wed Nov 28 23:53:48 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] AD Replacements
Message-ID: <ccf.1f6af0ec.347fb009@aol.com>

The Colby decision (in fact, any decision involving a football assistant)  
should be made by PF, and should not involve the AD (except to advise and keep  
posted).  I cannot see any reason why Greg Colby should be employed by the  
University next year.
 
As for Carmody, a decision to let him go would be based (it seems) on about  
5 factors:
 
- Bad Big Ten record
- Bad non-conference performance
- No NCAA appearances
- Weak recruiting (consistent weak recruiting)
- Poor fundamentals (the shocking inability of his players to shoot, make  
free throws, rebound, or not commit turnovers)
 
Which of these 5 factors would a new AD not be aware of (or not able to  
discover rather easily) ?  Other than nice qualities of Mr Carmody's  personality, 
what would any new AD require a year's observation to determine  ?
 
Chuck Herron   Tech '85 



**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest 
products.
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From tbng at comcast.net  Thu Nov 29 06:43:37 2007
From: tbng at comcast.net (Dennis W. Brandt)
Date: Thu Nov 29 06:32:59 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
References: <112720072122.22923.474C8A83000C73170000598B2216554886090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net><8C9FF7E4148FB4B-E44-3C6F@webmail-mf02.sysops.aol.com><000b01c83211$aa360940$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
	<4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C0120B9EA@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>
Message-ID: <000901c83285$764fa770$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>

> It used to be about a shared experience and a love of NU sports.

And what we don't like about it, too.  And your use of "used to be" has no 
basis in reality.
>
> It now appears that at least some would like it to become another front in
> the culture wars.

There isn't 1% of the posts here that ever mention politics.

> What has been special about this list is the respect and tolerance that 
> most
> of the folks have had for those who didn't share their point of view.

So, if I disagree with you, I am intolerant?  Gee, that's a tolerant 
attitude.
>
> I'm posting this message because I still have hope, but I'm growing tired 
> of
> wading through the political dreck and personal attacks to get to what I
> originally joined this list more than ten years ago to read.

You still have hope?  For what?  This is a message board on one university's 
sports teams.  Keep it in perspective.  What dreck?  What personal attacks? 
I have never read a single post here that contained a visceral attack such 
as is routinely seen on other opinion exchange sites.  We state opinions. 
As I recall, they all have been stated with respect.  Respect is not, 
however, defined as fawning acceptance.  Sometimes politics IS a factor, as 
in the attitude of the Northwestern administration toward their sports 
programs.  Sometimes it's just interesting to exchange ideas with others who 
have a brain, which is not always the case elsewhere. 

From rstetson at capps-assoc.com  Thu Nov 29 07:23:34 2007
From: rstetson at capps-assoc.com (Roy Lamberton)
Date: Thu Nov 29 07:12:00 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Murphy close to leaving
In-Reply-To: <fcb3ee270711281554u605b1c9fwb2b07146eaccdf1f@mail.gmail.com>
References: <112820071752.27446.474DAAD1000595E100006B362216525856090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
	<fcb3ee270711281554u605b1c9fwb2b07146eaccdf1f@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <001b01c8328b$0b445650$21cd02f0$@com>

I personally believe that Murphy's departure would affect Football more than the
other sports, altho Basketball could be on the hot seat even more than some of
the football assistants under a new AD.

Pat Fitzgerald, however, is on a 2 or 3 year schedule to get the Cats back in
the Big 10 race, and regular attendance at a post season bowl. My mental
timetable had the Cats back in the hunt this year, and definitely in the bowl
picture in 2008 and beyond, regardless of the assistant coaching situation. If
this is indeed the plan, Fitz is right on schedule.

Going back in history: I can remember folks on this list dumping on James Patton
for his handling of the O-Line, then being dismayed when he jumped to Oklahoma
[after recruiting a big group of blue chippers - including Castillo]. From time
to time, every assistant at NU has been under the gun - I'm sure even St. Ron
[V] was under pressure in his 2nd and 3rd year to produce.

So here's my prediction - Fitz will probably shake up the defensive coaching
sometime after Christmas - if he hasn't already done so. 

I could see him doing something like Duke did, with him taking more
responsibility for the D and letting the O run itself. NU could also go after
Roof [ex Duke] as a DC. Roof had tremendous success as the DC at Georgia Tech.
He is used to recruiting into higher academics, and we all saw what he did to us
this fall. 

Now, candidates for AD have to include Shon Morris who has almost become the
face of NU athletics [even under Murphy.] He enjoys a wide amount of support
from the alumni, and has been around the Murphy department [and before] enough
to know where the dollars are hidden. He's already got the media contacts to
maybe kick the marketing up a notch.

Yes, I'll admit I like Shon personally - but maybe its time we went inside for a
while and promoted someone from inside the house?

I'm going to have to talk with some of my Maryland contacts some more about Ron
V - he was dismissed from Maryland for more reasons than simply rubbing the
alums the wrong way. Suffice to say that he seems happy enough at State Penn.

rsl

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate
& sometime Unix Guru....
Computer Applications & Support Associates 
======  Go Cats -? Beat 'em All  ===========
"You have a Republic Madam --
???? If you can keep it" - Benjamin Franklin
============================================

> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces@tssi.com] On
> Behalf Of Jonathan Hodges
> Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 6:55 PM
> To: johnadeg@comcast.net
> Cc: nwu-sports@tssi.com
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Murphy close to leaving
> 
> I don't think Murphy leaving had anything to do with NU - I believe that he
> was most likely paid well for a guy at this level and had the freedom to do
> much of what he wanted, given the financial and academic restrictions at
> Northwestern (given that he came from Colgate he had more freedom here at
> NU).
> 
> I am sure there are 2 reasons:
> 
> 1. Money: its an NFL position - professional sports have much deeper
> pockets
> than a college program.  And money talks, even to loyal and dedicated guys.
> 2. Position: an NFL head position is basically the highest level he can
> attain in sports administration (well besides something at commissioner
> level) and you know what, congrats to him for showing that he has the
> ability to succeed and should be given a chance at the next level.
> 
> Obviously NU will have tough shoes to fill and they must find someone who
> can continue his success while also improving something that has needed it
> for a long time: basketball.
> 
> Jonathan
> 
> 
> On Nov 28, 2007 11:52 AM, <johnadeg@comcast.net> wrote:
> 
> > What a loss!  My guess is that Bienen and faculty wouldn't let Murphy do
> > what he wanted to do.
> > that plus the act that the Packers can pay him better.  NU could pay him
> > more but the faculty would all start to squawk about that sort of like
> when
> > the Harvard faculty squawked about paying the guy running the endowment
> fund
> >  what he could get elsewhere which ended up with his leaving to run his
> own
> > fund.
> >
> > John DeGroat
> >  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> > From: "Arthur Miller" <artmiller1@hotmail.com>
> > > Per the Green Bay newspaper, Mark Murphy is now in negotiations with
> the
> > > Green Bay Packers as their #1 choice.
> > >
> > > What a month.we could really use some good news around here, for a
> > change.
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > nwu-sports site list
> > > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > nwu-sports site list
> > nwu-sports@tssi.com
> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> >
> 
> 
> 
> --
> Jonathan W. Hodges
> 1237 Emerson St Apt 2
> Evanston, IL  60201-3577
> (847) 736-2449
> jonathanwhodges@gmail.com
> _______________________________________________
> nwu-sports site list
> nwu-sports@tssi.com
> http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports


From e-west at northwestern.edu  Thu Nov 29 09:47:26 2007
From: e-west at northwestern.edu (Eric West)
Date: Thu Nov 29 09:37:21 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 4, Issue 340
In-Reply-To: <000901c83285$764fa770$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
References: <112720072122.22923.474C8A83000C73170000598B2216554886090A0B0E02080106@comcast.net>
	<8C9FF7E4148FB4B-E44-3C6F@webmail-mf02.sysops.aol.com>
	<000b01c83211$aa360940$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
	<4B7B2D00D59EFB4BAF0FAAE7D5B14E0C0120B9EA@exchange-prod.hilgraeve.com>
	<000901c83285$764fa770$c402a8c0@DennisMachine>
Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.2.20071129090559.03249ef8@merle.it.northwestern.edu>


I'll allow myself one meta-post per year...

At 06:43 AM 11/29/2007, Dennis W. Brandt wrote:
>[Jeff Beamsley wrote]
>>
>>It now appears that at least some would like it to become another front in
>>the culture wars.
>
>There isn't 1% of the posts here that ever mention politics.

And any percentage is too high. Mike Nolan has made that clear. It is not 
difficult to understand.


>>What has been special about this list is the respect and tolerance that most
>>of the folks have had for those who didn't share their point of view.
>
>So, if I disagree with you, I am intolerant?  Gee, that's a tolerant attitude.

That's not what those sentences are saying, and I'm pretty sure you know that.


>>I'm posting this message because I still have hope, but I'm growing tired of
>>wading through the political dreck and personal attacks to get to what I
>>originally joined this list more than ten years ago to read.
>
>You still have hope?  For what?  This is a message board on one 
>university's sports teams.  Keep it in perspective.  What dreck?  What 
>personal attacks?

You either aren't reading a certain person's messages or you are pretending 
not to know on purpose.


>I have never read a single post here that contained a visceral attack such 
>as is routinely seen on other opinion exchange sites.

This isn't about other sites, it's about this list.


>We state opinions. As I recall, they all have been stated with 
>respect.  Respect is not, however, defined as fawning 
>acceptance.  Sometimes politics IS a factor, as in the attitude of the 
>Northwestern administration toward their sports programs.  Sometimes it's 
>just interesting to exchange ideas with others who have a brain, which is 
>not always the case elsewhere.

That's the problem with politics: even people with brains tend to disregard 
them rather quickly. :) And this wasn't just bringing up something that 
happened to be political; it was deliberate baiting by someone who has 
admitted he enjoys doing it. True, no one was required to take the bait, 
but that doesn't excuse the fisherman.

The "no politics" rule is here for a reason. Nobody is required to like it, 
and presumably anyone is free to e-mail the list manager if they have 
reasons for changing it, but simply disregarding it is poor form. (And yes, 
that goes for both "sides" in the latest incident.)

---
Eric West
e-west@northwestern.edu 


From mlinhardt at netzero.net  Thu Nov 29 13:00:21 2007
From: mlinhardt at netzero.net (mlinhardt@netzero.net)
Date: Thu Nov 29 12:51:41 2007
Subject: [NU Sports] Murphy close to leaving
Message-ID: <20071129.130021.4232.0@webmail11.dca.untd.com>

I always heard one of the reasons was that his players did not participate in the student part of student-athlete.

Good call on Shon.  He is an obvious choice.

May I be first to nominate Tavaras Hardy as the basketball coach should Carmody ever leave.  Having an all-alumni lineup could be a good thing.

-- "Roy Lamberton" <rstetson@capps-assoc.com> wrote:
<snip>
I'm going to have to talk with some of my Maryland contacts some more about Ron V - he was dismissed from Maryland for more reasons than simply rubbing the alums the wrong way. Suffice to say that he seems happy enough at State Penn.

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