LeatherneckNation / General Sports Discussion Forums / Smack Talk Lounge

Brett Favre....

Leatherface — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 13:00:43 GMT

Is it just me, or does anyone else find him annoying? He's going to retire, then he's not. Calls press conferences to say he's not retiring. Retires some more-always crying during the process-then wants back. Now he's at it again. It's become laughable.

Bluehatman....

Leatherface — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 18:14:22 GMT

It appears you are Bluehatman on the SDSU board- and this one. On the NDSU board you go by Blue- with at least one Bison Tatoo. Who are you?

I'm refering to your Volleyball predictions. Or, Blue copied eveything you posted on this board verbatim, and took credit for it!!!

Spring Football Game is Saturday (April 19th)

WIU712 — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:51:11 GMT

Annual Bruce Craddock Memorial Spring Football Game to be held Saturday at 1:05 p.m.

Courtesy: Jason Kaufman

Junior Mike McEachern has been drawing interest from the Canadian Football League, which holds its draft at the end of this month. Players chosen in the CFL Draft are still eligibile to compete in their senoir seasons.

Western Illinois University head football coach Don Patterson met with members of the local media Tuesday morning, sharing his thoughts on the spring football season and previewing Saturday’s annual Bruce Craddock Memorial Scrimmage.

The Leathernecks will conclude the four-week long spring practice season with an intrasquad scrimmage at 1:05 p.m. Saturday on Hanson Field. Similar to the past several seasons, the scrimmage will pit the offense (in white uniforms) against the defense (in purple) using a modified scoring system in which points are awarded for first downs on offense and defensive stops on defense, in addition to the traditional scoring rules. The scrimmage will consist of 12-minute quarters and will highlight the first teams against the second teams.

Karen Henderson, widow of former Leatherneck coach Bruce Craddock, will again be on hand to officiate the coin toss.

“Coach Craddock was and still is such an important part of Leatherneck football that we are very honored to have Karen with us each year,” said Patterson.

Craddock coached the Leathernecks from 1983-89, leading them to a 41-35-1 record before being overcome by cancer. The Gateway Football Conference’s coach of the year award is now named in his honor.

There is no admission fee for the scrimmage, however a donation to the Bruce Craddock Scholarship Fund is suggested.

Patterson quotes on spring football :
“I don’t think spring ball could have gone much better. We have had a few injuries here or there but that’s the nature of the game. I expect every last one of those players to be ready for the fall. And almost every player who was healthy going into spring ball will play this weekend.”

“We have real competition at several positions. Even with nine starters coming back on each side of the ball, and with some very experienced players returning, we are seeing some battles. Much of that is due to effective recruiting, especially on defense. Our defensive coaches haven’t made too many mistakes on recruiting and we’re starting to see the results of that.”

“This defense is even more refined than it was last fall. Coach Casey has a very good idea of how this particular group of players can play together and can carry out their schemes. They have been in the program long enough that their fundamentals are really solid right now. In that regard, we have been able to tinker more than what we could normally do in the spring.”

“One of our biggest concerns is our offensive line. We lost both guards from last year. Most people will say you need a minimum of eight solid linemen to succeed and we’re still looking for those eight.”

“It might be assumed that a team has a great opportunity to win every year. But reality is that some years you have a lot better opportunity to win than others. This is one of those years that we have a better opportunity than normal. Now we have to take full advantage of it. It’s not just going to happen. We won’t go out and have a great season just because we have 20 returning starters. It’s going to require those 20 players, as well as the other 80, to have the right attitude and put in the hard work over the summer.”

“If you look at each of the teams in the Gateway on paper and judge how good they’re going to be, it’s safe to say we appear on paper to be one of the better teams coming back. Again, that doesn’t guarantee any wins at all. There are other teams on paper that look really strong as well. North Dakota State returns seven first-team all-conference players. We all know how good they were last year and I expect them to be just as tough an opponent this year. I would expect them to likely be picked to win the conference this year.”

Spring Football Notes
• Redshirt-freshman Teague Dentino has made a successful switch from linebacker to defensive line. He has been placed in the two-deep behind senior Josh Galloway at right end for Saturday and should fill a similar role this fall.

• Another player who has seen a successful position change this spring is Terry Barney, who moved from wide receiver to defensive back and is likely to start at free safety this Saturday. Barney, at 6-foot-4, matches Bryan Cox (1987-90) as the tallest defensive back in Western Illinois’ Division I era.

• Defensive back Tim Jackson will miss the spring game due to being out of the country. He will be attending his brother’s wedding in South Korea.

• Defensive back Mike McEachern is attracting attention by the 2008 CFL Draft, held April 30. McEachern would still be eligible to compete in his senior season. His father, Ken, was an 11-year veteran defensive back in the CFL from 1974-84.

• With the departure of Will Ducey, McEachern has become the new holder for Taylor Rowan. McEachern was one of the highest-rated quarterbacks coming out of Canada when he signed with Western Illinois, but quickly found a home on the defensive side of the ball. He is the first defensive player to serve as holder in Patterson’s nine seasons.

• With only two quarterbacks in camp (sophomore Matt Barr, senior Zack Wells) the whistles on the red jerseys will be quicker than normal Saturday, a very stark contrast to last year in which the quarterbacks were live for the first time.

• Punter Chris Fuchs has been pulling double-duty this spring and will miss the scrimmage in order to fulfill his role as closer on the Leatherneck baseball team. He has allowed just four hits and four earned runs while striking out seven in 10 innings of work this spring. Place-kicker Taylor Rowan will handle the punting duties this Saturday.

• An NCAA committee is working on expanding the FCS playoffs from 16 teams to 20 teams by 2010.

This is intimidating

The "PIT" Prognosticator — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 01:13:21 GMT

I'm gettin nervous

http://youtube.com/watch?v=My6zyoPuopk&feature=related

I'm thinking about running....

Leatherface — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 16:02:14 GMT

for president on a third party ballot. Which of the Leathernecknation posters should I ask to be VP- and why? Not that anyone would want to be on the ballot with me!

No nasty remarks -please.

ORU vs Pitt

Leatherface — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 21:15:56 GMT

Not a bash on ORU at all. I watched their game vs OSU a while back, and thought they looked VERY good. I believe it shows how far the Summit is from the " big boys". Here's hoping the NCAA goes to 4 divisions as rumored. Then the low mid majors can compete on an equal field for some success come tourney time.

Another 2-Sport Player

WIU712 — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:47:46 GMT

I just noticed that the punter on the WESTERN Football team (Chris Fuchs) is a pitcher on the WESTERN Baseball team.

WESTERN upset #7 ranked Long Beach State 3-0. Chris Fuchs was a relief pitcher in that game.

http://www.wiuathletics.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=12000&ATCLID=1390370

NDSU vs SDSU

Leatherface — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:30:21 GMT

Two fine additions to the Gateway and Summit. Looks like NDSU has been a little stronger than SDSU. Football,men's BB, men and women indoor champs in track. Very strong program athletic program.

SDSU has a fine fan base, and demonstrated many success's too.

Congrats to both schools.Let's see how they do this spring.

Coach Kill Sues SIU

WIU712 — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 13:48:32 GMT

Coach Jerry Kill sues Southern Illinois!!

First-year Northern Illinois football coach Jerry Kill is suing his old employer, disputing claims that he owes nearly $58,000 for breaching his contract.

Kill coached the Salukis for seven seasons before taking a job with the Huskies in December.

His old contract requires him to pay SIU one-third of a year's salary - $57,772 - for taking another head coaching position before his contract expired. Kill's deal was to run through 2011.

But in his Jackson County lawsuit - filed Feb. 5, just days before SIU's deadline for Kill to pay the money - the former coach called the payback provision illegal and unenforceable because it gave him no option to leave without penalty unless he died, became disabled, quit football or was fired.

“He never has, at any point in time, the right to just say, ‘OK, at the end of X, I just don't want to work for you anymore,”' Shari Rhode, a Carbondale attorney for Kill, said Thursday. “If he decided to become a shoe salesman, he could leave. But as long as he stayed coaching football, he can't.

“Only the university has the right to say this contract is going to end and we both walk away without you paying a penalty. That's what makes it illegal.”

If SIU had ever breached Kill's contract, the university would have been required to pay him the rest of the salary he would have earned.

Mario Moccia, Southern's athletic director, said the university included a buyout in Kill's contract because the cost of undertaking a search for a new coach on short notice - and quickly moving that coach and his nine assistants to Carbondale - can be expensive.

Moccia said that, while he believes Kill's contract is clear and that he owes the money to the university, the flap has not diminished his respect for Kill.

“What I think a lot of people overlook is that this is also a business and there are contracts and sometimes, you know, individuals don't see eye to eye on those contracts,” Moccia said.

The lawsuit also claims that the university has refused to pay Kill for 25 vacation days he said he took after he accepted the Northern Illinois job Dec. 13, less than a week after he guided the Salukis (12-2) to the semifinals of the Football Championship Subdivision, the former Division I-AA.

Deborah Nelson, the school's associate general counsel, said the university disputed the vacation payments because Kill no longer was with the university at the time, making him ineligible for paid vacation.

In Kill's seven seasons in Carbondale, the team went 56-32, won three straight Gateway Conference titles (2003-05) and made five consecutive postseason appearances.

“Anybody that's ever known Jerry Kill knows that he's just a good old boy. This isn't somebody who (came) looking to screw around with a university,” Rhode said “He won awards. He brought a lot of prestige and honor to the university. We're better recognized for football than we've ever been, and this is how they treat him.”

Southern has hired Dale Lennon, a former coach at North Dakota, as Kill's successor, giving him a five-year contract that will pay him $200,000 a year.

ORU just plastered....

Leatherface — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:58:07 GMT

Okie State! They looked very good! On ESPN2.

Just for fun- where

Leatherface — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 14:19:42 GMT

would you have gone if not WESTERN?

I was accepted and originally going to Southern Illinois at Carbondale. Glad I didn't go. Nothing wrong with Southern, but probably "fit in " better at WESTERN. Preffered a smaller campus. A long time ago!

Would like to see WESTERN play valpo in football

Leatherface — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 20:42:24 GMT

and beat the crap out of them. Tired of reading about valpo and how good they are in BB. Lowly limited scholarship football at D1AA. Basically a one sport school- men's BB, play them and run up the score. That's my best smack talk without cursing. They say they are too good for the MidCon, lets see how they stack up with the Gateway football teams. You want to be 1AA, then schedule full 1AA schools.

SDSU and Northern Iowa

Leatherface — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 12:29:12 GMT

I'm afraid SDSU will be 0-3 against Gateway teams after their game with UNI. Don't expect it to be as close as WESTERN or Youngstown. Welcome to the Gateway!!!!!!!!!!

Indiana State must be......

Leatherface — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 16:59:05 GMT

really bad. Austin Peay whipped up on them. Surprised to see southern beat NORTHERN.

Heh, NIU Huskies

Leatherface — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 18:53:13 GMT

Beat the snot out of southern!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rodney Harrison

WIU02 — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 20:55:33 GMT

does drugs. What an idiot. This guy has had a reputation as an azzhole in the NFL for as long as I can remember...now I know why.

Drake beats Illness State

Leatherface — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 10:06:51 GMT

PRICELESS

Go Back to the "WESTERN" football jerseys

WIU712 — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:03:08 GMT

I have seen some photos taken from Media Day. It looks like the team will be wearing those "Western Illinois" jerseys of last year instead of the traditional "WESTERN" jerseys.

I was disappointed to see that. Maybe public comment and outcry will lead to a return to the original "WESTERN" jerseys.

Those "Western Illinois" jerseys just don't look as nice.

Off topic- kick backs at WIU

Leatherface — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:30:56 GMT

News reported today about WESTERN steering loans to a preferred lender smells bad. The Financial Director should be fired. WESTERN got a kick back. What did he get?

Big Ten expansion

Leatherface — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:47:49 GMT

Looks like this might happen next year. Syracuse and Rutgers mentioned. Missouri has also been mentioned in the past. Believe it or not, some of the Illannoy State persuasion have said in the past they feel they might be ready for an opening in the Big Ten. I'm serious- fans, of course. Probably Denver dreaming and hoping.

What Is With Lake Ruth ???

WIU712 — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 18:16:03 GMT

I just drove past Lake Ruth. What an ugly mess that is. The top of Lake Ruth is completely covered with a greenish sludge. You can't see the water.

Immediate action is needed to remedy this situation. We certainly don't want it looking like that for Homecoming.

I know that there are plans to dredge the Lake. So perhaps that will help. Also, the fountain is not there this year. Perhaps the fountain helped to keep the water moving and not stagnate.

I am not a botanist. But certainly one of the WESTERN Botany professors could advise the University on how to restore this campus landmark.

WESTERN News

Leatherface — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:19:34 GMT

Just received the current WESTERN News. Any of you appear in the alumni pictures? I would like to see what some of you tur...s -I mean,folks look like.

University Drive

Leatherface — Wed, 30 May 2007 17:10:25 GMT

I believe that's what it is called. The street in front of Western Hall. Wow, that must hold some kind of record for pot holes, crumpled pavement and roughness!!!! Who is responsible for upkeep on this? Some of those holes look like they have been there for years!

The heck with woorying about men's BB, lets get that street repaved. Anyone for new shock absorbers?

Help me, I'm jealous of eastern

Leatherface — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 15:14:19 GMT

Their game against Samford was live on ESPN2 last night. The gym looked good, with a big crowd. I'm jealous they got that kind of exposure.

Oh, well, they can't play football

IUPUIUUIPPI Coach

Leatherface — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 10:12:52 GMT

One wonders if he will roll around on the floor after any victories this year. Remember when they made it to the NCAA a few years ago, he rolled around on the floor at mid-court. IMHO, it was embarrassing for the Mid-Con.Made the conference look small time.

Boomer Grigsby....

Aspen — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 19:58:08 GMT

how many tackles did he really have in his college career? now, i know he has the records, but how many did he truly get per game when he was averaging like 16 after the coaches looked at the films??? c'mon Denver....get the boots off and quit cookin' the books!

(remember, this a smack talk lounge forum....this kind of a post needs to stay here.....BTW, great to see everyone being positive about Western and lets keep it that way)

WIUS TV Announcers

mrb105 — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 13:28:01 GMT

I watched today's Kentucky Wesleyan game on Channel 3 because I was a little under the weather, and I think our TV analysts are brutel. THey make pointless comments that don't make sense and continue to stuter. I kno they are college leavel announcers but the things they comment on don't really take much intelligence. I also think that the camera operators are a bit weak as well. Just wondering if anybody else sees it like I do.