The year 2006 was absolutely fantastic for D3football.com. We were able to do a lot of things, such as send Keith McMillan on the Run to the Playoffs, literally around the nation. I got to see a handful of different programs and places this season thanks to my new geography. We were able to participate in the NCAA’s live videocast of the semifinals. And Kickoff 2006 followed in the successful footsteps of Kickoff 2005.
With a great 2006 behind us, here’s some hopes and wishes for 2007:
More video: We’re at the mercy of some larger organizations on this one, hoping the NCAA will add Division III to the program it put together for Division II football, streaming some 40 games on the Net through CSTV. There are also still streaming companies who are trying to get D-III conferences interested. Conferences — look at this offer and get your schools on board. It benefits the entire division.
More teams: The 2007 season welcomes Birmingham-Southern, St. Vincent and Gallaudet. Gallaudet is attempting to return to the intercollegiate fold … again … from club status. Gallaudet hasn’t won a varsity game since 1991. Birmingham-Southern is moving up to Division III from Division I, in a decision that caused a great deal of rancor on campus and from the scholarship athletes. We hope for a peaceful transition and some football success. St. Vincent is joining Division III from the NAIA and will be in the second year of provisional status next season. And St. Scholastica has announced it will add football for 2008. The more the merrier.
More participation: We hear from more and more readers every year, and we would hope 2007 continues the trend. But the trend in recent years, too, has been not just more posters and blog comments but more sites run by fans dedicated to specific teams. Wabash started team blogs this year, including football. A Gettysburg fan blogs about their team, though it’s mostly a collection of the writings of others. Of course, there are several fan sites, including ones for Mount Union, UW-Whitewater, Cortland State, Bridgewater and others. But anyone can start a blog — perhaps it might be interesting for you to start one as a fan of a team you might think is underrepresented. Citizen journalism is a big buzzword in the media these days and you fans out there can join the group. Get video of your team and put it on YouTube.
More Martel: OK, well, this isn’t very likely — I’m sitting here late night/early morning listening to D3football.com audio director emeritus Ray Martel hosting an overnight talk show shift on WFAN. He and I started doing football games together in 1994. Been a while now.
More aggressive scheduling: Mary Hardin-Baylor/UW-Whitewater and Linfield/Hardin-Simmons were great games this year. Wouldn’t it be great to see more of this? The automatic bid is coaches’ safety net. Take more chances.
More willingness to follow own rules: Yeah, it’s OK to have Millsaps and Mary Hardin-Baylor be within 500 miles by your own definition but ignore it? Uh uh. The NCAA should live by its own handbook.
What would you like to see more of in 2007? (This is not promising we’ll be able to deliver, of course.) 🙂
One factor Rabbit seems to omit is the relative proximity to the bulk of the DIII world of Salem Vs. Dallas. It would be a major road trip for everyone except a few teams. (I read once that Canton, OH is really the demographic “center” of DIII once if you want to get technical.)(Jeez, wouldn’t the MUC haters out there really get lit about a “Home Game” for MUC in their own county seat?)
Secondly, DFW is one of the most expensive airports in the country if you don’t have a SouthWest hub in your backyard.
Lastly, I remember the Dolphins-Cowboys Thanksgiving “Ice Bowl” a few years ago: perhaps a one year comparison of weather isn’t exactly fair?
Salem has done a great job with the Stagg: if they lose it, I hope the winner knows what they have to live up to.
By the way, my hope for 2007 is for a great, fair, safe and competitive DIII season for everyone. And GO MUC!
“And please, before you respond with the Div 3 preferred “atmosphere” rhetoric, ask the players if they would like to play the Stagg Bowl in front of 30 or 40 thousand!”
I’m sure they would love to, but it ain’t goin’ to happen in Texas or anywhere else for that matter. How long you been in Texas, son? High school football in Texas is king. The Southlake Carroll/Euless Trinity playoff game, a game many Texas high school football fans would consider the real championship game this year in the big-school division, drew 30,000-35,000 at Texas Stadium. And you think the Stagg Bowl featuring DIII teams that most folks in this area have never heard of would draw at least that, if not more?
As for venues in the Metroplex, Texas Stadium will not exist in three years, and the rent on either the Cotton Bowl or the monument to Jerry Jones, plus other expenses incurred, just might be more pricey than the revenue generated from the game.
I appreciate your enthusiasm and support for our area, but your promises are way over the top.
Cortland-Ithaca draws 10,000-13,000 fans most years. The 15,000 fan level is about as good as you are going to get in D3, playoffs included. And honestly I would not want it to get larger than that. There is rarely a bad seat at a D3 football game, and the ticket cost is negligible. (Except for the $8 or so it costs to park at Montclair State)
My hopes for the 2007 season is that my team (RPI) will finally play to its potential. We have a great coaching staff and we also have terrific student-athletes. I know that we are losing some key players, but I think we will be just as competitive this coming year.
I feel that the east region definetly deserves much more respect than what it has been given, especially with Fisher’s performance against the national champs. There might be a possibility that an East Region team might make it to the Stagg Bowl, I hope that is true, but hey, there is a long year ahead.
I mean you may say that a 26-14 victory was not exactly close but up until the blocked Fisher field goal in the 3rd, the game wsa still 19-14, which is a fantastic showing for an East Region team, especially against such a fantastic Mt. Union team. If it were not for Kmic and the MUC O-Line’s performance in that game, who knows who would have been national champs this year. lol
However 2007 plays out, I hope that D3 Football draws an even larger audience, because I truly feel that the D3 level of football is the most pure that this fantastic sport can ever get with guys who play for nothing but their true love for the game. Let’s have an amazing season! Keep up the fantastic work Pat, Keith and Crew! So many people, including myself, depend upon your hard work and dedication.
D3Keith – I can’t get involved in this painted-mud-Salem-DFW-mine-is-bigger-than-yours-conversation when there are real issues in the world!!!!
But what I can say is………HOW ‘BOUT THEM COWBOYS!!!!!!!! That has to qualify as one of the biggest choke jobs in the history of the NFL!!
Getting blown out by the Saints at home on national television……..getting beat by the E-A-G-L-E-S at home on national television on Christmas and then losing to the 2nd worst team in the entire NFL (Michigan’s own Detroit Lions) with a division crown and home playoff game on the line!! And then last night’s debacle……Terry (SHE) Glenn…..T.O and the dropsies…..and the Annointed One botching a clean snap!!! Well at least he’s got Carrie Underwood!! The T.O. Curse Lives On!!!
Heading down to the Linc in a few minutes to tailgate and then watch our beloved Birds with 70,000 of the most passionate and rabbid fans in the world!!!
Sents –
I watched the Fisher-MUC game on the internet, and I felt Fisher gave MUC as tough a game as anyone could have. And it wasn’t the element of surprise or luck. Both teams came to play.
I don’t know how to explain your RPI team. They looked great against (an albeit disillusioned) Cortland in the ECAC game. The prior week they took out playoff bound Union. Some of their losses throughout the season look bizarre in retrospect. They blew a golden opportuntiy to be a playoff team, and perhaps a very dangerous one.
When are the new facilities scheduled to be completed?
Cortland-
Yes, we did have some tough losses this past year. A much-improved St. Lawrence team scored 4 touchdowns in the 4th quarter to beat us and we did not come out to play against Rochester, who also has become a terrific competitor. I feel the Liberty League this coming season may be as competitive as any conference, especially in the East Region. Now, about our new facilities, who knows when those will be built. lol. They are supposed to break ground this coming year, but this time last year they were planning on breaking ground in Spring/Summer ’06, so I’m not going to promise anything. They said that the stadium will possibly host the 2009 Engineer season. If anyone wants to see a video on the new facilities, there is one on the RPI Athletics webpage. The new stadium is going to be top-of-the-line for the D3 level, that is if the project is ever going to be started! lol
UW-W fans,
Give coach Liepold a chance and stop crying. You guys act as if this guy is from Mars. He is an Alum and played for the Warhawks for crying out loud. Sometimes a new face and change is good. Whitewater will be tough to beat again next year, they have alot of good players returning. I plan on flying up from TX to watch UMHB play the Warhawks. UMHB has most of the team back on both sides of the ball. If they hang with UMHB you will know that they are contenders once again. I believe U-WW has a chance to win, it will be fun. Save me some brats and beer.
No kidding Purple, the fans should be glad the O coordinator didnt have a chance to sink the UWW program to the ground.
I hope the selection committee gets the correct/deserving teams in the playoffs this fall…
Pat:
I don’t know you at all other than reading your posts and hearing reactions from other posters on you and your posts. You seem to be a knowledgable and affable guy.
I am puzzled though as to your responses to those who post opinions that do not coincide with yours. You are very short with them and often come off as “scolding” and standoffish.
Maybe the opinions expressed are not based on full knowledge but, this would be an opportunity to instruct rather than berate. I understand the importance of an informed blog with informed opinions but, please try to be more patient with those that want to get involved but need help in doing so intelligently.
You and Keith ask for more pariticipation but with that call means more instruction to those “newcomers”.
Happy New Year all!
Raiderdude-
I’ve been roaming this site for 2 seasons and Pat’s been that way the entire time. Good luck getting him to be less “scolding and standoffish”.
I understand the frustration of reading postings that tend to come from the heart more than the mind but, we all need to be tolerant of those that leap without thinking all the time.
We are all good people at our core. Some are just more polished than others.
A hope for 2007 would be to encourage others to participate, provide a wordly opinion of D3Football from all parts of the country, and engage in intelligent debate.
Thank you for responding
Raiderdude:
I’m all for new participation. I’m not really a fan of misleading spin and that is the reason why I commented as I did.
First of all, I would like to say that Flush has obviously gone of the deep end. How can anybody that follows UWW football make a statement like that. Coach Zweifel is one of the biggest reasons, if not the single biggest reason, for the Warhawks success in recent years. You say he would sink it to the ground. Well, with new starters next year at QB, WR, and TE, and with 4/5 of the O line and Beaver coming back, the ground seems like a good place to go. Regardless, the situation now is Coach Leipold is at the helm, and I can only hope that Coach Z stays on to call another great season for the Hawks.
Nor am I. I just think sometimes we tend to express our opinions and provide support for those arguments with facts that may not be fully accurate.
Correction of those instances need to be dealt with adeptly.
I just want to make clear I appreciate all you do for this site and it’s a godsend to those with an interest in D3. This forum allows for discussion from fans across the country that would not get the opportunity elsewhere.
I just know that the highest achievement anyone can reach is respect. And the largest trait I see in my experience with watching and discussing D3 football is repect. Respect by the players and coaches for each other. The least we can do is show that same respect to our fellow posters and fans no matter what school or region of origin or their opinion.
Thank you again for this forum and I hope that it continues to blossom in 2007.
Jeez, just grow up, Pat. You are not the omnipotent Division III person on the planet. I’ve read some of the other forums on here and saw occasions where you had you head handed to you on a platter. Like when you challenged OhioFootball about SJF. OhioFootball responded by saying you never mentioned that in your initial argument. Who is the one spouting misleading spin? Haha. You’ve lost a great deal of credibility. Rather than demonstrate any humility and accept your mistakes, you prefer to act like the part of a horse’s body that best describes you (Hint: you sit on it and your head seems to be residing there as well).
Granted, this is not the way I want to treat others, including you. However, whenever anyone has an opinion (yes, opinion) different than yours, you tend to treat them poorly. I don’t need to hear some wimpy semantic spin doctoring from you to try to change what others have perceived from you. That’s life. Perception counts, too.
What you need is humility. What you need is to accept that you are not a Division III football know-it-all and actually apologize to the people on here who wish to post and hopefully support such a wonderful sport. I won’t bite on some crappy semantic pantload from you trying to start an argument with me. You can’t beat me in one, anyways. If you really want respect, Pat, Be a man and apologize to others or continue to be a horse’s you know what. It’s not too late to change who you are for the good of yourself and everyone else. It’s your choice.
Also, just to eliminate this trite return from Pat, no, I am not OhioFootball. I actually reside in Michigan and am a former student and player at Albion.
I think the perception Raiderdude and hello_think have shared about some of Pat’s replies are probably shared by others who have not chosen to post on the subject. And we also know which individuals create deliberately provacative and inflammatory posts on a regular basis. What Raiderdude said above is worth repeating.
“I just know that the highest achievement anyone can reach is respect. And the largest trait I see in my experience with watching and discussing D3 football is repect. Respect by the players and coaches for each other. The least we can do is show that same respect to our fellow posters and fans no matter what school or region of origin or their opinion.”
I’ve been reading through. Anyone know what the heck hello_think is referring to? I don’t see a post like the one he’s talking about here.
It may have been a personal reply sent via email.
I assume it’s a response to a comment from a previous blog posting, about three weeks ago, regarding St. John Fisher’s final ranking being raised because they played Mount Union close.
I’ve made about 15,000 posts on the message board and another 500 on the blog. If you read a few comments here or there you can label me just about any way. Doesn’t mean it’s accurate. Doesn’t mean it’s fair.
The crux of this immediate discussion still stems out of the assertion from the Texas poster that Salem was “pretty complacent for a long time” until competition came along. That’s a false assertion and for me to stand by and allow Rabbit to pass it off as fact is just not something I can do. I’m sorry that the way it comes out is displeasing, but that’s the way I am when someone attacks an entity that works as hard for Division III as the City of Salem does.
I don’t do this site for the money — I haven’t gotten a paycheck since 2000. I do it because I love Division III and I want other people to see what’s going on outside their conference and immediate area. And all sorts of people disagree with me and I don’t have a problem with that.
But I’m not going to stand for someone pushing their agenda if they abuse the facts.
I would love to see Flushthejohnnies admit he was wrong about his Stagg Bowl prediction and admit that he is the farthest thing from a college football god. I would also love to see Whitewater get a championship sometime. Preferably a year that by some strange occurence or shifting of the stars and planets, Mount Union doesn’t make the Stagg Bowl. They are quality fans, quality opponents, and a quality program, and they are more deserving than most teams out there. Don’t get me wrong, if the Raiders won it for the next 100 years straight, I would be at every one with bells on (pendning my existence on this Earth), but nonetheless, they deserve it. And if/when they do get it, I hope Bob Berezowitz is still around to see it! That said…..MUC football 07, “Let’s get one for the other thumb!!!!”
I certainly didn’t intend to make a large issue of this Pat.
A hope for 2007 was to increase the interest by entertaining and encouraging new posters to the site.
I merely stated that, until these new posters are brought up to speed with the whole of D3 Football, it would be incumbent on those veteran posters to be patient and respect those newcomers. That would entail correction of misconceptions with tact.
I am not attacking your level of knowledge nor your commitment to this site. They are both above reproach. You deserve props for your efforts.
RaiderATO, good one. Hope Mount Union Bookstore starts selling t-shirts with slogan “One for the Other Thumb.” (LK might be the only one who could wear them all.)
As a new poster to this site, i have been reading it for the last 2 years since my son went to wesley to play football, i have never found pat or keith’s comments to be insulting to others. if the information is inaccurate, they have responded as they should. i have found some of the comments from others to be so over the top opinionated that they were hilarious, yet they have been allowed to be posted. it is amazing to me how easy it is for some to criticize or nitpick about a single comment. from what i can tell both pat and keith work extremely hard to have accurate information available for us to read. i know that it has helped me greatly appreciate the other schools that wesley has played and given me insight into what i should expect in the game. pat and keith do not need to apologize to anyone and should be applauded for this fantastic website. guys, keep up the good work and i look forward to reading during the off season, especially the pre season rankings and predictions about this upcoming season for wesley and the other top teams around the country.
Woj has been there for all of em too I believe…
IMHO, Pat Coleman knows more about Div III football than anyone else I have ever heard or seen. The ESPN crew are a joke compared to Pat and his crew. His colleagues, Keith McMillan and Pat Cummings are also very knowledgeable about D3, as are many of the regular posters, Matt Barnhart, Ralph Turner, and others. If you want to know about D3 football, listen to these guys.
Having said that, I have read several posts where each of these guys appear to come off as arrogant and/or self-righteous. I think it has to do with the written manner of bulletin boards and blogs.
I have met all of the above mentioned persons, except Ralph Turner, and everyone of them are great people whose passion for D3 football is unsurpassed.
We all need to grow some thicker skin and enjoy this website whether what is written about our team is favorable or not. This is the best forum I participate in on any topic. Enjoy it and give Pat and crew a great thank you for giving us this site.
RaiderATO, Yep, Woj has 9 rings now.
D3Keith – Our Birds live to fight another day…………..when will this real life “Rocky” story end?! Thank God the state of Florida is non-existant in the world of D3 football. With the studs that state puts out………ouch!!!
What they did to Ohio State/Ohio football was downright criminal. I didn’t see that coming in a million years. If they played 100 times, Florida would win 98 of those games. Between that game and the current state of professional football in Ohio………Thank God for the Mount!!!
I’ve asked questions before about how many Mount players might get an NFL look see……………watching the size, speed and athleticism on that field last night, I’ll never ask that question again. The differences aren’t nominal……they’re absolutely monumental.
Hopefully Sunday.
I am amused at the extrapolation of one game to an entire state regarding football. There is no doubt that Florida was the better team on Monday night and I am sure there are many reasons for it. To say that Florida would win 98 out of 100 times may be a bit over the top.
And I imagine that when Ohio State beat Miami, FLorida in 2003, that was one of the 2 out of 100 times.
In any event, props to Florida and good luck to all in 2007!
Oh….. and props to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins for making the NFL playoffs.
98 out of 100 isn’t over the top, its ascenine. Granted, Florida won, deserved to win, and deserved to be national champs. If that game was played again on Tuesday, I guarandamntee you it would have been alot closer than that. OSU failed to adjust to offensive pressure, and failed to adjust coverages and blitzes defensively. I’m a huge Jim Tressel fan, but he was outcoached to the fullest Monday night. It’s sad that their season had to end that way, because they won’t be remebered for how good they are outside of Ohio, they’ll be remebered as the third worst loss in a BCS title game ever. A Florida defender was quoted as saying, “They wern’t even that good, I can name 5 or 6 teams in the SEC that could beat them”. Please. Dont let one very off night ruin their legacy!………. Now, back to D-3 sports, the real reason we’re all here. Are the 2007 preseason rankings out yet? If so, where? and if not, when?
RaiderATO-
You’re kidding? It’s Jan 10th and you want a pre-season poll? Everybody in the world knows Mt U will be the preseason #1 and we’ll have to endure another boring season of D3 football.
lg1970 – What part of Louisiana are you from?
UWWRUNNER,
I think that the Warhawks will be in the thick for the national championship. However, just because coach Z is a great O coordinator does not mean he would be a great coach. I think UW-W will be stronger with Liepold and Zweifel around.
Irving….as in Texas. I’m more of a Dallas Stars fan than a Dallas Cowboys fan. And I’m not so much an anti-Eagles team as I am anti-Eagles fans. My feelings about them originated on a Sunday afternoon in the Vet which turned out to be Michael Irvin’s final game. I’m sure you know what I’m referring to. I respect and admire most Eagles players, particularly Donovan McNabb and especially in his dealings with T.O. And you’re right…..T.O. brings nothing but dissension and discord wherever he goes. Very short-sighted and short-term decision by Jerry Jones which, were he not the owner, ought to get him fired. Long story short, I don’t wish ill will on the Eagles, but I don’t mind seeing their fans disappointed yet another year. That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it.
Purple Crush …..Zwiefel is not coming back to UWW…..
lg1970 – I actually agree with parts of your post. I love Mark Cuban (Pennsylvania native!!) and I wonder if this is the Mavs year. I’ve been to 13 Eagles-Cowboys games in Irving and have never felt intimidated……..I know that it is the opposite for Cowboys fans venturing to Philly though. It truly is a Northeast (Philly, NY, Boston) thing and our passion for our teams (over the top at times) and the general intensity of the people and how we/they attack work and pleasure. I’ve has friends move to Miami, Atlanta, Dallas and Phoenix and they all talk about how much slower things move and the lack of the intense passion relative to the East Coast. If you must know the entire story about Michael Irvin (no Saint himself……..and T.O’s best friend……enough said)….the booing started in earnest when Deion Sanders came off of the sidelines, layed hands on him (he recently had “found” religion) and proceeded to do some type of ritualistic dance. The crowd went nuts. Emmitt Smith has actually talked about how most of the Cowboys players wanted to pull Sanders from the field and tie him down!! Home losses to the Saints, the Eagles and the incredible game against the Lions……as well as the debacle against the Seahawks did prove one thing though. Jerry Jones (more facelifts than Joan Rivers!) was bit by the T.O curse. If they have any idea what they’re doing, they’ll cut him before his 3 million dollar roster bonus on March 15. Maybe we can spread the curse to Dan Snyder and the Redskins next year!!
Apologies to other D3 fans as I prolong this Cowboys-Eagles discussion (I promise this is my last post on the subject)…..
dukefinadv,
I concede your point concerning the relative passion among fans in various cities, regardless of record (witness Bears and Cubs fans). But those fans in Philly who “went nuts” still witnessed an unquestiongly serious injury and, in my opinion, stepped beyond the bounds of acceptable behavior. The popularity (or lack thereof) of a certain player should not dictate the response he might get when he suffers a potentially life-threatening or career-ending injury.
If your plans next year include a trip to Dallas for the Eagles game, let me know and I’ll attend the game with you. Wear your Eagles jersey, and I’ll wear my Stars jersey!
lg1970 – You got it buddy!! Have a happy and healthy 2007…….and no need to apoligize to the others about the non D3 football talk. The number of posts/posters slows down to a crawl for the next several months.
Likewise to you. And if the game is played durung the D3 regular season, we might even catch a UMH-B or H-SU game. They’re only two to three hours from Dallas.
pumkin- Its Jan 11th, 3 days removed from the D-1 national championship and we have several 2007 preseason polls out there. Why is this such a stretch for d-3? I would like to see how the rest of the nation is ranked as well, being as though I am a college football fan! If you think D-3 is so boring, then why do you spend so much time here?
I would like to say to the entire staff of D3football.com – thanks for another great year of people like me enjoying your site immensely. I know that next year will be just as good if not better.
I am looking forward to next year just as I did for last season. Keep up the good work.
Anything going to come out of the suggestions from at the end of the season?
RaiderATO-
Why is this such a stretch for D3?— There’s something called scholarships in D1. It’s much easier to gauge a teams returning talent when you have scholarships.
pumkinhead – How many new incoming freshmen make that big of an impact on the PRESEASON rankings? Granted, they impact the final rankings tremendously, especially those of the caliber of Percy Harvin, amongst others. However; noone can project an incoming players talent so much that it directly affects the rankning they place on a team before the season starts, and even furthermore before that player has stepped foot on a field. They usually base these on returning starters, depth chart, and rosters, all 3 of which division 3 football has. So my question remains: Does anyone, who’s not trying to formulate an argument, know where I can find preseason division 3 rankings? And pumkin, don’t be mad at me because you’re team will ineveitably be behind Mount Union…
RaiderATO-
The point is there’s nothing officially binding a D3 player to remain at his current school such as a scholarship. So all your “returning starters,depth charts, rosters” can transfer anywhere they want and play for another d3 school in ’07. That is 1 reason it’s a stretch to come up with a d3 preseason poll at this point in the year. In other words- good luck in finding one in January.
You really burned me with that last statement. Are you in the band or on the cheerleading squad at Mt because I know you are not a player or former player.
Pumkinhead,
Actually if he was an ATO at Mount, he probably played something. That has historically been the “jock” fraternity at MUC.
RaiderATO,
I’m not sure if it is posted yet, but HSCoach mentioned that he was working on a preseason ranking for the OAC for Ric’s site: http://www.mtunionfootball.com. It’s not national, but it might satisfy you a little bit as to the OAC.