The MAC Goes a-Bowlin'

We've definitely come a long way since 2003, when Northern Illinois finished 10-2, with wins over Big Guys Maryland, Iowa State and Alabama...and DIDN'T GO TO A BOWL.

Five MAC teams are in bowl games this year:

FAMOUS IDAHO-- Buffalo

BEEF O'BRADY-- Ohio

LITTLE CAESAR'S-- Bowling Green

POINSETTIA-- Northern Illinois

GO-DADDY-- Ball State.

Northern plays Utah State in the Poinsettia Bowl, but I would have rather seen them play in the Beef O'Brady Bowl in St. Petersburg, Florida, against East Carolina, one of my all-time favorite teams. I also would have preferred the Go-Daddy Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, where we played Arkansas State two years ago. Arkansas State is back at the Go-Daddy.

Oh, Well. --RoadDog

NIU Poinsettia Bowl Bound and STILL HAS Coach

Last night, we found out that Northern Illinois was going to the Poinsettia Bowl the day after Christmas in San Diego to play Utah State. I know the University of Central Florida has to be thanking Bowling Green for beating us at the MAC Championship game Friday, thus keeping us from and letting them go to the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona, a BCS Bowl.

But, still, it's a bowl game, something we didn't get in 2003 after a 10-2 season and beating a ranked Alabama team. The last time we played in the Poinsettia Bowl, we were blown out by Texas Christian University so hope we do better this year. No doubt, it will be a tough game.

We'll be watching for NIU travel packages, but most likely will not go.

We could have gone to the Beef O-Brady game in St. Petersburg, Florida, one which we would have gone to and if I heard correctly, East Carolina, my second favorite college team, is playing in so that would have been a great game for me.

It has now been two days since the loss to Bowling Green and, WE STILL HAVE OUR COACH, Rod Carey. We lost our last two coaches within hours after the MAC Championship game.

Go Huskies!! --RoadDog

It's a College Football Thing: Toomer's Corner-- ECU-- Lame Name

Some recent news.


1.  TOOMER'S CORNER--  From the 4-21-13 Dr. Saturday.  Auburn fans roll Toomer's Corner oaks one last time on April 20th after a record crowd of 83,401 watched the annual spring game (and poor old NIU couldn't get that many in a six game season).

This was to be the last time for the current trees, or what's left of them after an Alabama fan poisoned them two years ago.  The city is going to cut them down, but have no fear, new trees will be planted and until they are strong enough, wires will be strung at the Corner on football weekends.

Poisoning the trees was a horrible thing, regardless of how much you hate the other team.


2.  ECU--  My second favorite college football team is East Carolina.  At their April spring game, they made a kid with a life-threatening disease's day when they suited him up and let him run for a touchdown with the whole team in pursuit.  I saw that several other teams did that as well.  Now, that's a real nice thing.


3.  LAME NAME--  The new college four team playoff system for the national championship is going to be called "The College Football Playoff."  The ad company who came up with that sure phoned that one in.  I think a better name would have been "The Big Money Bowl Series."  Plus, it should have been 16 teams instead of 4.

Oh Well.  --RoadDog


TOO PUNNY:  I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger.  Then it hit me.

It's a B-Ball, ECU Thing

I see that Chris Collins, assistant coach to Duke's Coach K is going to be head coach at Northwestern.  Great fit for the Wildcats.  And, what a b-ball pedigree.  His father was head coach of the Chicago Bulls, he was also Mr. Basketball in Illinois, not to speak of all the valuable experience he has gotten as a Duke assistant for 13 years.  Looking for great things even though he won't be getting all the talent that Coach K automatically gets.

Speaking of B-Ball.  Watched the Marquette trouncing of Miami and that close Ohio State game last night.  I didn't see the ends of the last two as it got too late.  I am no fan of the Eastern Time Zone.  Everything comes on too late.

Glad to see East Carolina joining whatever the new conference the football teams of the Big East are forming, even if they did get NIU's athletic director.  And, after all these years, the Pirate basketball team is coming around and have won two games in the NIT, or whatever it's called now.  (CIT?)

Just Some Sports.  --RoadDog

JSIS: ECU-- Maryland-- Big Ten...Er...-- NIU

JSIS--  Just Some Interesting Stuff---  Sports

As we continue the conference musical chairs so prevalent today.


1.  ECU--  Yesterday, East Carolina University announced that it is joining the Big East Conference for football only, but continue with its Conference USA affiliation through 2013.  More money and bowls being the excuse.  Of course, there is some question as to whether they're joining a sinking ship with all the other schools leaving it. 

And like the other major conferences which used to represent geographical regions, the Big East "ain't" so East anymore, with Boise State, UCF, Houston, Memphis, SMU, San Diego State.


2.  MARYLAND--  I see that Maryland defeated the Big Ten's Northwestern in Monday night's ACC-Big Ten Challenge.  Should that even count since Maryland is now joining the Big Ten.  And speaking of geographic conferences, the Big Ten "was" a Midwest conference.  Penn State was a stretch, but they're close to Ohio.  I sure don't know about Maryland and Rutgers being Midwest.


3.  BIG TEN...ER...--  And speaking of the conference that used to be from the Midwest, should it still be called Big Ten?  Actually, it is the Big 11, er-Big 12, er-Big 13, er-Big 14.


4.  NIU--  Here's hoping that Northern Illinois just stays put in the MAC, Mid-American Conference which is a good fit.  We don't need to be in C-USA.

Here a Football, There a Football, Everywhere a New Team.  --RoadDog

ECU Shooting for the Highest Level of Sports Competition-- Part 3

The website also noted that East Carolina fans travel to support the team. In 2010, ECU had the highest ticket sales of all C-USA teams going to bowl games. The entire ticket allotment to the Military Bowl was sold out.

Then, there is the sale of licensed merchandise, another big fan indicator. ECU has the highest selling merchandise of all non--automatic qualifier schools east of the Mississippi. Last year sales of athletic items would have ranked ECU seventh in the Big East and ninth in the ACC.

How ECU compared in football attendance in 2010 season'Average football attendance 49,665 for a 99.33 percentage capacity.

BIG EASTWest Virginia 56,325 93.87%
Pittsburgh 52,165 80.25%
Louisville 50,648 120.59%
EAST CAROLINA
Rutgers 47,013 89.63%

ACC
Clemson 75.786 94.38%
Florida State 71,270 86.60%
Virginia Tech 66,233 100.00%
North Carolina 58,250 97.08%
North Carolina State 56,877 98.77%
Miami (Fla) 52,575 70.18%
EAST CAROLINA
Georgia Tech 46,499 84.45%

Here's Hoping. --RoadDog

ECU Shooting for the Highest Level of Sports Competition--Part 2

My school, Northern Illinois University, another one of those weather vane schools, has tried to rise above mid-level status, but with no success.

We were in the Mid-American Conference, but left in the mid-eighties to seek the higher levels as an independent. It didn't work out and we are now back in the MAC again.

ECU is now a member of Conference USA, but would like to rise to ACC or Big East level. The Winter 2012 East magazine of ECU devoted a whole page to this quest titled "Big enough for the big leagues."East Carolina has applied for membership in the big East and even retained former NC Governor Jim Hunt to lobby for the school.

This past fall the university debuted a fact-filled website to push its case at www.ecu.edu/undaunted. East Carolina is a consistent TV ratings power house and has a rabid fan base.

Nationally, ECU ranks #44 in average football attendance and ranked #2 among schools that don't belong to conferences that get an automatic bid to a national bowl game.

More to Come. --RoadDog

ECU Shooting for the Highest Level of Sports Competition-- Part 1

From the East Magazine: Magazine of East Carolina University.

Over the last decades, East Carolina University has striven to play at the top levels of collegiate athletics, and it hasn't been easy. I am a big supporter of the East Carolina Pirates, even though I did not go to school there.

My parents did as did an aunt and two cousins. Had I continued living in North Carolina, it is very likely that I would have gone there.

I watch the football team whenever I can and wear the team shirts and hats often. There was always the time that Liz and I were in a bar in Dodgeville,Wisconsin, on New Year's Day watching the Peach Bowl game between ECU and North Carolina State many years ago.

Now, those people had never heard of ECU, but by the end of the game they were all pulling for the Pirates. Of course, with NC State jumping off to a big lead and East Carolina coming back to win in the second half, it was a close one.

More to Come. --RoadDog

Wow!! Another ECU Come-from-behind Win

Called my mom Saturday and she mentioned that the East Carolina Pirates were losing 20-0 to arch-rival Southern Mississippi, always a tough foe.

Later, at 11:30 pm ESDT, I got a call from one ecstatic mother saying that ECU had come back to win the game 44-43 at the end. That had to be some win as usually she's asleep by ten.

Right now, I am listening to "Beach, Boogie and Blues" on WNCT-AM in Greenville, North Carolina via the net, and Alan Vick is ecstatic still, talking about it, playing the radio coverage of the winning TD, a 32 yard TD on 4th and 7 with two minutes left. Of course, this Saturday is hated NC State in Greenville.

It was coach's Ruffin McNeill's 52nd birthday as well.

Earlier this season, in the first game, ECU scored as time ran out on a 33 yard pass to beat Tulsa 51-49. Now, that was some game.

I hope it's on, but of course, Saturday is also our alma's Homecoming, Northern Illinois.

Congratulations to the ECU Pirates. --RoadDog


SENIOR PERKS: In a hostage situation, you are likely to be released first.

Great Day for Bowl Games

There really weren't a lot of bowl games that really cared much about until today. There are WAY TOO MANY bowl games these days. One of them even featured two .500 teams!!!

I was happy to see East Carolina defeat Boise State. Both Mom and Dad graduated from there, and I would probably have gone there as well had we not moved to Illinois. Unfortunately, Central Michigan lost in the last minute to Purdue after coming back and tying the game.

Way to go Mr. Paterno who won his 500th game with Penn State at the Alamo Bowl. I have a lot of regard for this man.

But, today there are lots of great games.

I am a big Wisconsin fan, actually, they're my very favorite Big Ten team. Unfortunately, they're playing my second favorite SEC team, Tennessee. My nephew Andy is one of the biggest Vol fans in the world. Just ask anyone who knows him and walk into his "orange" room. My brother Bob, didn't go to Tennessee, but his money sure did. Tennessee won 21-17.

The Really Big Game today, is the Rose Bowl. Come on Illinois!!!! I attended Northern Illinois, and at one time really hated the Illini, but I have since become a Big Ten, well, Eleven actually. Win one for the Chief!!! The late great Chief Illinewek.

The Sugar Bowl will pit Georgia against Hawaii. I'm pulling for Georgia as I went there one year and my sister graduated from there and my niece goes there now.

I'm pulling for LSU in the championship. Two teams I really don't like are Michigan and Ohio State.

Nothing Like Some Good College Football on New Year's Day. --RoadDog

More on My Schools- Emma Conn School- Raleigh NC

Come to think of it, I didn't go to Fourth Street School in Greenville, NC, for fifth grade. I went to a lab school for East Carolina University named Wall-Coates. We had quite a few student teachers that year, as well as Mrs. Fennel, a teacher I really hated, but the best I ever had as it turned out. She MADE me change my ways and improve my grades.

I did not know who Emma Conn was, so I went on the internet and found some really interesting stuff about her and Emma Conn School in Raleigh, NC, where I went from 1st to 3rd grades. It was named for a Raleigh city school educator of 50 years, 20 as a teacher and 30 as a principal.

Emma Conn had an interesting philosophy on discipline. She would always give a student three choices when they did wrong: 1. sent home with a note- the absolute worst thing that could happen to a kid back then, let the beatings begin, 2. get a switch, and 3. go back to the room and behave. I'm sure most students in trouble chose the last one. She felt that corporal punishment should be done at home. "School discipline consists of guidance, understanding, and patience," she once said.

When she found out the school board was going to name a new school after her, she said, "I will have to be really good for the rest of my life." The new school was to open October 15, 1954, but due to construction delays, the first actual day was January 3, 1955. It cost $390,000 and had 505 students in grades 1-7, 15 teachers and 20 classrooms.

One stipulation from Emma Conn was that her name was not to appear on the outside of the school while she was alive. She died in May of 1970 at the age of 90 and is buried in Raleigh's Oakwood Cemetery. A sign was put up immediately after that. I attended first grade starting in 1957 so it was still a new school.

Tomorrow, I'll do Fremd and Palatine high schools.

Quite a Remarkable Educator. --RoadDog