After what was surely the longest offseason in history, we finally play some college football today as the Yeomen open the 2007 season at Savage Stadium against the Case Spartans.
For months, the Oberlin coaching staff has been keeping track of the days, hours, minutes and seconds leading up to kickoff with a countdown clock hanging above the office. For weeks, it seemed like the clock was locked at 100 days, but finally...we're here.
There's never been the anticipation for a season quite like there is for 2007. Having 20 starters returning will do that for you. As will having a talented corps of players including R.V. Carroll, Chase Palmer, Chris Pisani, Greg Mangan, Chris Schubert, and on and on. Bringing in 21 freshman will help the optimism as well.
Now all that's left for Oberlin to do is win. Simple as that.No one should be content for the Yeomen to simply be 'the best of the rest' in the NCAC. They've been there and done that. Twice. The next step in the process is beating the Wabashes, the Wittenbergs, and the Alleghenys. And then this team becomes legitimate conference title contenders.
As I look at this season, it comes down to two keys: First, be able to run the football against everyone on the schedule, not just against half the teams. R. V. Carroll had a record setting 2006 and looks in great shape for this fall. But if you look closely at his stats, it brings up a glaring point:
Against Case, Heidelberg, Hiram, Earlham, and Kenyon: 1,083 yds (217 per game)
Oberlin's Record: 4-1
Against W&J, Denison, Wabash, Wittenberg, and Allegheny: 197 yds (39.4 per game)
Oberlin's Record: 1-4
The other key for the Yeomen is stopping 'the big play' on the defensive side of the ball. In 2006, Oberlin allowed eight passing touchdowns of 30 yards or more plus another three scoring runs in excess of 30 yards. Now, as Don Vincent likes to remind me, during the course of a season...you'll have occasional breakdowns. The trick is to contain the damage and not let it become a recurring issue.
One way or the other, this promises to be a memorable season. It's an honor to return for my sixth season as the Voice of Oberlin College football. I hope you'll tune in either on the radio or on the web throughout the season for all the action with yours truly, Don Vincent and Jason Gibbs.
It all starts today! See you at Savage Stadium.
8/31/2007
8/22/2007
Are you ready???
Less than five minutes after Brian Deitz and I left the WOBL and WDLW studios this afternoon bound for the Lorain County Fair, it hit us like a ton of bricks:
There's that smell. It's football season!
The smell was actually the ever-present scent of the manure coming from some of the local farms. But because this is Fair Week, it seems more prevalent than at any other time of the year. And because it's Fair Week, that also means it's time to buckle up the chin straps and play a little High School Football.
Are you ready?
This is shaping up to be one of the most interesting seasons of High School Football that we've had in Lorain County in quite some time. There are several compelling storylines as we head towards Friday Night:
Eight schools have new coaches, including perennial county powers Amherst and Elyria.
Speaking of the Pioneers, Elyria is moving into a brand new conference along with old friends Brunswick, Strongsville, and Medina. In addition, the Pioneers also have a new Athletic Director.
2006 saw Avon Lake's reign over the Southwestern Conference end. It also saw no teams from Lorain County make it into the postseason. That can't happen two years in a row, can it?
Can Oberlin, Firelands, and Southview rebound from 0-10 seasons? Can Admiral King duplicate its terrific stretch run from '06? And who might sneak up on everyone this fall?
It's going to be a fun ride this fall. And our two stations, WOBL AM 1320 and The Kool Kat WDLW AM 1380, will be there to bring you 23 exciting live matchups beginning with three games this weekend. Brookside at Firelands on OBL and Elyria hosting Midview on the Kat this Friday. Then on Saturday, we'll greet you from Cleveland Browns Stadium for Avon vs. Avon Lake in the Charity Classic.
The season is finally here. It's time to stop talking and start hitting.
Are you ready??
There's that smell. It's football season!
The smell was actually the ever-present scent of the manure coming from some of the local farms. But because this is Fair Week, it seems more prevalent than at any other time of the year. And because it's Fair Week, that also means it's time to buckle up the chin straps and play a little High School Football.
Are you ready?
This is shaping up to be one of the most interesting seasons of High School Football that we've had in Lorain County in quite some time. There are several compelling storylines as we head towards Friday Night:
Eight schools have new coaches, including perennial county powers Amherst and Elyria.
Speaking of the Pioneers, Elyria is moving into a brand new conference along with old friends Brunswick, Strongsville, and Medina. In addition, the Pioneers also have a new Athletic Director.
2006 saw Avon Lake's reign over the Southwestern Conference end. It also saw no teams from Lorain County make it into the postseason. That can't happen two years in a row, can it?
Can Oberlin, Firelands, and Southview rebound from 0-10 seasons? Can Admiral King duplicate its terrific stretch run from '06? And who might sneak up on everyone this fall?
It's going to be a fun ride this fall. And our two stations, WOBL AM 1320 and The Kool Kat WDLW AM 1380, will be there to bring you 23 exciting live matchups beginning with three games this weekend. Brookside at Firelands on OBL and Elyria hosting Midview on the Kat this Friday. Then on Saturday, we'll greet you from Cleveland Browns Stadium for Avon vs. Avon Lake in the Charity Classic.
The season is finally here. It's time to stop talking and start hitting.
Are you ready??
8/09/2007
Hey Danica, Just Shut Up!
I can't help but laugh at Danica Patrick. A chick in a race car who has won nothing,but all she does is whine and complain. This is the second time Danica Patrick has complained about the driving style of Dan Wheldon. I'll be honest, I don't watch the Indy Racing League, not many people do, but I'm not as dumb as I appear either. Lets take a look at some numbers shall we...sure.
Here are Danica's career IRL number.
43 starts, NO WINS and an astonishing 71 laps led.
Dan Wheldon on the other hand,
in 76 career starts he has 13 wins and has lead 2,581 laps.
And oh yeah, Wheldon won the INDY 500 in 2005. Last time I looked that's kind of a big deal. I don't care how many laps you lead, all that matters is the last one. Danica hasn't been in front for that yet and till she has, she won't get any respect from me until she shuts up.
When you say something like, "Dan drives really aggressively out there. He said it himself on pit lane at Milwaukee that he's tougher. I don't know if tougher means rougher, because he doesn't play completely fair out there. I even said that on my radio, 'Dan better play fair today. I'm serious because he likes to drive up and intimidate you.'
Hmmm. Dale Earnhardt didn't become one of the best by playing nice. NO HE INTIMIDATED people. That's how he became "The Intimidator."
Hey Danica, if you can't be tough and don't want to be intimidated, go wash hair for a living, and JUST SHUT UP!
Here are Danica's career IRL number.
43 starts, NO WINS and an astonishing 71 laps led.
Dan Wheldon on the other hand,
in 76 career starts he has 13 wins and has lead 2,581 laps.
And oh yeah, Wheldon won the INDY 500 in 2005. Last time I looked that's kind of a big deal. I don't care how many laps you lead, all that matters is the last one. Danica hasn't been in front for that yet and till she has, she won't get any respect from me until she shuts up.
When you say something like, "Dan drives really aggressively out there. He said it himself on pit lane at Milwaukee that he's tougher. I don't know if tougher means rougher, because he doesn't play completely fair out there. I even said that on my radio, 'Dan better play fair today. I'm serious because he likes to drive up and intimidate you.'
Hmmm. Dale Earnhardt didn't become one of the best by playing nice. NO HE INTIMIDATED people. That's how he became "The Intimidator."
Hey Danica, if you can't be tough and don't want to be intimidated, go wash hair for a living, and JUST SHUT UP!
8/08/2007
Just a Reminder....
Hope to see you out at Quaker Steak and Lube tonight for our first Showcase of the new season. We'll be on the air at seven o'clock on both of our network stations (WOBL and WDLW) with two hours of high school and college football talk.
Scheduled to join us live at the Lube are: Brookside Coach Mike Akers, Elyria Catholic's Ben Malbasa, Southview's Todd Auvil, Clearview's Mike Collier, and Columbia's Jason Ward. Plus, our buddy Jeff Ramsey from Oberlin College will be on hand to preview the 2007 Yeomen season. And you never know who else might make an appearance.
Best of all, Quaker Steak and Lube is offering a $5 gift card to all fans who are there between 7 P.M. and 9 P.M. Just tell your server that you're there for the show and they'll hook you up.
Should be a lot of fun. With just about everyone on the Sports Krew there, I can guarantee it won't be boring!
Scheduled to join us live at the Lube are: Brookside Coach Mike Akers, Elyria Catholic's Ben Malbasa, Southview's Todd Auvil, Clearview's Mike Collier, and Columbia's Jason Ward. Plus, our buddy Jeff Ramsey from Oberlin College will be on hand to preview the 2007 Yeomen season. And you never know who else might make an appearance.
Best of all, Quaker Steak and Lube is offering a $5 gift card to all fans who are there between 7 P.M. and 9 P.M. Just tell your server that you're there for the show and they'll hook you up.
Should be a lot of fun. With just about everyone on the Sports Krew there, I can guarantee it won't be boring!
8/05/2007
That's a load of crap...
Why is it that there are a lot of people in the media that want to molly coddle the guys that break the rules? Poor, "down and out" Ryan Tucker - huh? This is the guy who, a few years ago on Cleveland talk radio, talked about the fact that he'd do 'roids if they were legal. So he made his decision. Live with it. I get the need to compete. I get the need to excel. I also get that if you don't play by the rules you get penalized. Deal with it. He's fortunate that he's only getting four games off - I'll explain in a minute.
Same goes for Bonds. Please don't ever try to convince me that he's not juiced. At the start of his career he looked like the guy in the old comic books getting sand kicked in his face. A few years later and it's "Olive pass the spinach. " Anyone believe he didn't know the rule? If he did, and he most certainly did, he chose to either 1) ignore the rule, or 2) believe that the rules didn't apply to him. In either case, it's the same behavior you see from criminals and drug addicts.
Add to the list the following: Tour d' France bikers, Pete Rose, Tim Donaghy (NBA official), Ronny Thompson at Ball State, and you can fill in the rest. No sympathy. No excuses. No BS.
Here's a departure from the status quo (and why I think Tucker is fortunate) - as long as you benefit from your illegal activity (think muscle mass from steroids) you shouldn't play, get paid, or aid your team in any way. If you commit an ethical violation (gambling), you're done. And don't expect your name to show up in the history books except under knucklehead.
Look, sports are one of the last bastions of what is good about living a good life. We expect our athletes to be honest and pure in terms of their athletic performance. They don't have to be great people (role models should be parents and preachers, not sluggers and slammers). Pro and big college sports are polluted with money and politics. The athletes themselves have to rise above and excel in competition. The rules say that the field is 100 yards long, the basket 10 feet high and the mound is 60 feet 6 inches from the plate. The players have to conform too.
Same goes for Bonds. Please don't ever try to convince me that he's not juiced. At the start of his career he looked like the guy in the old comic books getting sand kicked in his face. A few years later and it's "Olive pass the spinach. " Anyone believe he didn't know the rule? If he did, and he most certainly did, he chose to either 1) ignore the rule, or 2) believe that the rules didn't apply to him. In either case, it's the same behavior you see from criminals and drug addicts.
Add to the list the following: Tour d' France bikers, Pete Rose, Tim Donaghy (NBA official), Ronny Thompson at Ball State, and you can fill in the rest. No sympathy. No excuses. No BS.
Here's a departure from the status quo (and why I think Tucker is fortunate) - as long as you benefit from your illegal activity (think muscle mass from steroids) you shouldn't play, get paid, or aid your team in any way. If you commit an ethical violation (gambling), you're done. And don't expect your name to show up in the history books except under knucklehead.
Look, sports are one of the last bastions of what is good about living a good life. We expect our athletes to be honest and pure in terms of their athletic performance. They don't have to be great people (role models should be parents and preachers, not sluggers and slammers). Pro and big college sports are polluted with money and politics. The athletes themselves have to rise above and excel in competition. The rules say that the field is 100 yards long, the basket 10 feet high and the mound is 60 feet 6 inches from the plate. The players have to conform too.
8/03/2007
The Road to Respectability
It's not easy being Jeff Ramsey.
That's what kept telling myself during our two hour drive together from the NCAC Media Day in Granville this past week.
It's not just the demands of being a coach who goes through the everyday grind of practice, game preparation, film study, etc. That's tough enough for anyone. But to have to do it at Oberlin College is a challenge all its own.
First things first, many people in and around Lorain County and Greater Cleveland aren't even aware that there is an Oberlin College football team. Remember the scene in the movie "Major League" when Tom Berenger's Jake Taylor character gets stuck at a party with a bunch of strangers who ask him what he does for a living. When he tells them he plays for the Indians, he gets my favorite line in the movie:
"Here in Cleveland? I didn't even know they still had a team!"
That's about how it is for Ramsey most times when he tries to go out and sell the program. If people know anything about the Yeomen, it's that they once got national attention for a 44 game losing streak between 1997 and 2001. That was six years ago and Ramsey still has to occasionally answer questions about it.
What's worse, High School coaches often tell their players not to take Ramsey's calls during recruiting. "You don't want to go to THAT school!" As if there was something wrong with one of the nation's finest institutions of learning that features a world-renowned Conservatory of Music. Apparently 'THAT' would be a bad place for said-recruit to visit. It's a mindset that Ramsey must combat every day. He also has to constantly arm-wrestle to try to get prospective student-athletes through a rigorous admissions process.
Yet, with all of the above working against him, Ramsey is quietly turning around the Yeomen. They have posted a pair of 5-5 seasons twice in the last four years and are poised to finish above .500 for the first time since 1974 and post the most number of wins in a season since 1963. At least 19 starters from a season ago are back to team with a freshman class of 21 for one of the deepest rosters in recent team history.
Running back R.V. Carroll, who ran for a school record 336 yards against Kenyon is back. So is signal caller Greg Mangan and explosive wideout/specialist Chris Schubert. All five members of the offensive line return. So does preseason All American safety Chase Palmer. And on and on.
The geniuses in the NCAC Media as well as Ramsey's fellow coaches apparently don't think as highly of O.C. as I do. The Yeomen were predicted to finish sixth in the league in both polls during the Media Day festivities. It's not a surprise. The Yeomen must cross the threshold and become a winning program before they receive the respect that is given to conference powers like Wabash and nearby Wooster.
This year could be that year. And maybe then, the jokes will stop.
That's what kept telling myself during our two hour drive together from the NCAC Media Day in Granville this past week.
It's not just the demands of being a coach who goes through the everyday grind of practice, game preparation, film study, etc. That's tough enough for anyone. But to have to do it at Oberlin College is a challenge all its own.
First things first, many people in and around Lorain County and Greater Cleveland aren't even aware that there is an Oberlin College football team. Remember the scene in the movie "Major League" when Tom Berenger's Jake Taylor character gets stuck at a party with a bunch of strangers who ask him what he does for a living. When he tells them he plays for the Indians, he gets my favorite line in the movie:
"Here in Cleveland? I didn't even know they still had a team!"
That's about how it is for Ramsey most times when he tries to go out and sell the program. If people know anything about the Yeomen, it's that they once got national attention for a 44 game losing streak between 1997 and 2001. That was six years ago and Ramsey still has to occasionally answer questions about it.
What's worse, High School coaches often tell their players not to take Ramsey's calls during recruiting. "You don't want to go to THAT school!" As if there was something wrong with one of the nation's finest institutions of learning that features a world-renowned Conservatory of Music. Apparently 'THAT' would be a bad place for said-recruit to visit. It's a mindset that Ramsey must combat every day. He also has to constantly arm-wrestle to try to get prospective student-athletes through a rigorous admissions process.
Yet, with all of the above working against him, Ramsey is quietly turning around the Yeomen. They have posted a pair of 5-5 seasons twice in the last four years and are poised to finish above .500 for the first time since 1974 and post the most number of wins in a season since 1963. At least 19 starters from a season ago are back to team with a freshman class of 21 for one of the deepest rosters in recent team history.
Running back R.V. Carroll, who ran for a school record 336 yards against Kenyon is back. So is signal caller Greg Mangan and explosive wideout/specialist Chris Schubert. All five members of the offensive line return. So does preseason All American safety Chase Palmer. And on and on.
The geniuses in the NCAC Media as well as Ramsey's fellow coaches apparently don't think as highly of O.C. as I do. The Yeomen were predicted to finish sixth in the league in both polls during the Media Day festivities. It's not a surprise. The Yeomen must cross the threshold and become a winning program before they receive the respect that is given to conference powers like Wabash and nearby Wooster.
This year could be that year. And maybe then, the jokes will stop.
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