THE IUP Football Thread

[EyeoftheHawk]

That's largely from a bygone era. I don't sense a resentment factor any more in Indiana. IUP is a shell of itself. I don't think most people even realize anymore when campus is in session versus when it's on break. The enrollment is so down that the off-campus housing market is all but dead. The students almost all live down in the immediate circumference of campus now. It's like their own little world and the two (campus and Indiana) don't really mingle or run in to each other much. It's not like the boom era of the 80/s90s when the enrollment was double and students were mixed in to neighborhoods all through town. The slum houses of that time were all sold by the 'lords' due to having no clients. The vast majority were flipped in to single family homes.

There was certainly a time when many in Indiana would have preferred to build a "Berlin Wall" type structure around that campus. But, that was a long time ago.

The IUP many of us knew is long dead. I mean, of that 8,800-some enrollment, a big chunk are commuters and online students. I don't even think two of the newer dorms even opened this year.

Truth…spoken by a person who lives in this community like I do. The noise comes from people who never set foot on a college campus who’s minds are so small they can’t help themselves from projecting their make believe perception about IUP.

[EyeoftheHawk]

Indiana High School got b-slapped all season, you’d think the locals would cue up behind the local team that wins.

I think the local resentment factor towards the school and students plays in too…the locals need to get over it. You are a college town whose economy is married to the school for better or for worse. Without the campus you are just a slightly bigger version of Punxsutawney but instead of a giant rat you have a statue of a dead actor to rest your laurels on…liberal college towns tend to embrace their schools.

I think this is overplayed. It’s a small fraction of the community that doesn’t like IUP, and it won’t surprise you that most of them don’t even live in town. If you follow the Indiana Gazette on Facebook you’ll see the same tired losers on there *****ing about everything.

[IUP24]

We probably don't have the greatest crews in the PSAC, but officiating most sports is very hard. Basketball has changed so much over the years, with the athletes getting quicker and playing above the rim, that you have to be on your toes on all times. Even reffing YMCA and summer leagues games, you can run into a variety of situations that call for a split-second decision. I learned that I would not be a good basketball official because I tend to pause for a moment before I make a decision, and any delay you make as an official has fans ready to pounce because they take it as a sign that you don't know what to call. Even in baseball or softball, you get bang-bang calls on the bases that really could go either way. I had several calls like that in a slow-pitch softball game once, and one of the teams was about ready to stomp me (didn't help that the home plate umpire was a prima donna jerk who overruled me on one call despite the fact that I had a much better look at it than he did).

I can be as hard on officials as the next person, but sometimes we really need to tone down the abuse a little, especially at the youth level. Stories are legion about parents threatening officials, getting into physical scuffles, etc. There was a near riot at an elementary school-age wrestling meet near Harrisburg not long ago. Our major area athletic conference, the 36-team Mid-Penn, can't play all of its football games on Fridays because they only had about a dozen qualified football officiating crews last year — do the math. My primary worry in the future is not whether the officiating is good or bad, but whether we'll have enough officials to play the games at all.

Great post.

I've often made these same comments to people within this discussion. When you look at who we have officiating games, it's mostly older folks. That's not taking a shot at anyone, that's just the way it is. Every sport. At every level. Guys 50+ in most cases. Things slow down and get harder at that stage. And as you mentioned, sports aren't slowing down. Athletes are getting bigger, faster, quicker, more athletic, etc. Bad calls could very well be a product of officials, in some cases, simply not being able to keep up.

I think the instant reaction to things nowadays makes officiating very difficult, and mostly unappealing to a large faction of people who may be in a position to want to do the job. Every play and call is reviewed. If you mess up, millions of people see it on camera. Everything is under a microscope within the confines of social media. Officials at the college and pro level are eviscerated by fans at every turn. Why would anyone actually want to do that job? Everyone always complains about officiating, but nobody ever signs up to do the job and put their self-proclaimed abilities to work for the good of the sport. So now you deal with a shortage of officials, so guys who should be phasing out, are the only ones we have doing it.

I miss the days where we didn't have the number of reviews and replay angles we have now. You accepted human error as part of the sport. You dealt with it and primarily moved on. It was part of it. Gambling has a ton to do with why these games take so long and why everything is reviewed. I kind of feel that replay has ruined the spontaneous joy we can get out of watching sports. Great catch in the end zone? No use celebrating, because it'll get reviewed for the entirety of a three and a half minute commercial break, only to be overturned because the ball moved ever so slightly on a zoomed in replay. I am a Pitt football season ticket holder, so I go to a lot of Division 1 FBS college football games. The length of these games is just maddening. Most approach 4 hours. Many run longer. Going to a game is a full-day event. It was nice and refreshing going to the IUP game on Saturday. Game was finished in under 2.5 hours. Now that's also in part due to there not being a media timeout at each change of possession. But that also is because there were not reviews for targeting, fumbles, touchdowns, etc. But I didn't feel like the game was poorly officiated at all. I think most crews do a fine enough job. With no reviews, I didn't feel cheated as a fan; and I don't think any Ashland fans did either. I thought the game was called well.

[Fightingscot82]

We've been hearing about this dude for years. He graduated TJ in '19. The 2020 season was lost. So he was hurt in 2021 and ineligible in 2022?

The 2023 season will be his fourth year at IUP but I guess he'll be a freshman eligibility-wise?

That's great news he's still around. Being ineligible is another topic. We aren't talking Harvard here. Hopefully he learned his lesson.

Yep. Half-assed my way through high school. My first semester at Edinboro I was pledging a fraternity by Labor Day weekend, working 10 hours a week on campus, and drunk 2-3 nights a week and still managed a 2.2 GPA.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Danielson will be a monster next year was ruled ineligible this year, best defensive player his senior year in the wpial.

We've been hearing about this dude for years. He graduated TJ in '19. The 2020 season was lost. So he was hurt in 2021 and ineligible in 2022?

The 2023 season will be his fourth year at IUP but I guess he'll be a freshman eligibility-wise?

That's great news he's still around. Being ineligible is another topic. We aren't talking Harvard here. Hopefully he learned his lesson.

[IUPalum]

It’s called lack of money PA college system worst in the country…that answer your question.

Wrong! FACTS!

[Ship69]

As a fan attending in person, it's a little harder to grasp in football. At Miller, for example, you are fairly far off the field. So, the officials all kind of look the same from the bleachers.

What I'm getting at, is I've attended so many PSAC basketball games I couldn't begin to even guess at the number.

I can tell you precisely how the game will go as soon as the officiating crew walks out on to the arena floor. I'm not joking -- with precision. The rules of basketball are the same throughout D2. Yet, the officials assigned to a particular game alter it so much it's fascinating.

We have 'hack' crews -- they let the teams beat the p*ss out of each other all game.

We have the 'showmen' crew -- they think we're all there to see them and call every foul under the sun.

We have the 'lazy' crew -- three dinosaurs that are still somehow expected to call a fast-paced game. They are out of position nearly all 40 minutes and ruin just about every game.

Rules are the same. The game, however, changes so much based upon the crew.

We probably don't have the greatest crews in the PSAC, but officiating most sports is very hard. Basketball has changed so much over the years, with the athletes getting quicker and playing above the rim, that you have to be on your toes on all times. Even reffing YMCA and summer leagues games, you can run into a variety of situations that call for a split-second decision. I learned that I would not be a good basketball official because I tend to pause for a moment before I make a decision, and any delay you make as an official has fans ready to pounce because they take it as a sign that you don't know what to call. Even in baseball or softball, you get bang-bang calls on the bases that really could go either way. I had several calls like that in a slow-pitch softball game once, and one of the teams was about ready to stomp me (didn't help that the home plate umpire was a prima donna jerk who overruled me on one call despite the fact that I had a much better look at it than he did).

I can be as hard on officials as the next person, but sometimes we really need to tone down the abuse a little, especially at the youth level. Stories are legion about parents threatening officials, getting into physical scuffles, etc. There was a near riot at an elementary school-age wrestling meet near Harrisburg not long ago. Our major area athletic conference, the 36-team Mid-Penn, can't play all of its football games on Fridays because they only had about a dozen qualified football officiating crews last year — do the math. My primary worry in the future is not whether the officiating is good or bad, but whether we'll have enough officials to play the games at all.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I was really hoping Jack was going to ask Tort last night he if felt the bye week had any effect on things. I'm sure it would have been a coach-speak answer but I am curious. The offense was a little ... out of sorts, off, ... not sure what.

I suspect they shook off the rust. That's not to discredit a very strong Ashland defense. That was probably the best D IUP saw all year.

[IUPalum]

W, u understand what that means , grow up…just sayin

Sounds like I struck a nerve with you, FACTS!

[IUPNation]

LOL remember when a Millersville alum used to come on here and ***** and moan about the young idiot AD? All he's done is raise money to improve facilities.



Millersville University plans $9 million renovation of stadium and gym

https://lancasteronline.com/business...65dcfd866.html

It’s not turning the stadium into the Jerrydome. They don’t have any loo’s on the visiting side. The ones they do have on the home side are cramped. So they definitely need that money to upgrade the loos. A canopy over the visiting side would be nice because if it’s hot and sunny in early season, you are like a hot dog on a roller for three hours on the metal stands.

[iupgroundhog]

LOL remember when a Millersville alum used to come on here and ***** and moan about the young idiot AD? All he's done is raise money to improve facilities.



Millersville University plans $9 million renovation of stadium and gym

https://lancasteronline.com/business...65dcfd866.html

How timely is that?

[Fightingscot82]

LOL remember when a Millersville alum used to come on here and ***** and moan about the young idiot AD? All he's done is raise money to improve facilities.



Millersville University plans $9 million renovation of stadium and gym

https://lancasteronline.com/business...65dcfd866.html

[IUPbigINDIANS]

While the PSAC refs are bad, it seems like there are bad calls on all levels of football and across all sports. Isn't it a matter of time until technology takes over from humans?

I mean, you could run these plays through a computer algorithm and come up with an accurate call within seconds. It could be fan-friendly. Make it visual. Make it spontaneous. It's ridiculous to have to sit and watch these private conversations amongst the officiating crew. Same goes for baseball. We do have technology now to expose bad calls and it seems clear that people can't make those judgments as accurately.

As a fan attending in person, it's a little harder to grasp in football. At Miller, for example, you are fairly far off the field. So, the officials all kind of look the same from the bleachers.

What I'm getting at, is I've attended so many PSAC basketball games I couldn't begin to even guess at the number.

I can tell you precisely how the game will go as soon as the officiating crew walks out on to the arena floor. I'm not joking -- with precision. The rules of basketball are the same throughout D2. Yet, the officials assigned to a particular game alter it so much it's fascinating.

We have 'hack' crews -- they let the teams beat the p*ss out of each other all game.

We have the 'showmen' crew -- they think we're all there to see them and call every foul under the sun.

We have the 'lazy' crew -- three dinosaurs that are still somehow expected to call a fast-paced game. They are out of position nearly all 40 minutes and ruin just about every game.

Rules are the same. The game, however, changes so much based upon the crew.

[iupgroundhog]

And it will be the same crew for both teams, no matter which conference it's from.

While the PSAC refs are bad, it seems like there are bad calls on all levels of football and across all sports. Isn't it a matter of time until technology takes over from humans?

I mean, you could run these plays through a computer algorithm and come up with an accurate call within seconds. It could be fan-friendly. Make it visual. Make it spontaneous. It's ridiculous to have to sit and watch these private conversations amongst the officiating crew. Same goes for baseball. We do have technology now to expose bad calls and it seems clear that people can't make those judgments as accurately.

[Ship69]

No, it will be either a MEC/Gmac/NE10 crew I think. From what I recall they assign neutral referring crews separate from the teams conference officials.

And it will be the same crew for both teams, no matter which conference it's from.