Topics

31

YSU Penguin Athletics / What a Surprise! Two more championships!

« on: February 24, 2019, 07:15:14 PM »

 Winning never gets old.  Congratulations to both the men and women track teams for yet another dominating performance.

On a related note, Chad Zallow (three time winner today, of course) in today's Vindicator expressed interest in playing football next fall.  I don't know if he is serious or just having some fun with the media.  I do know that if that kid can actually catch a football, no defensive back in FCS could run with him for sixty yards down the field!

32

YSU Penguin Athletics / IUPUI as the next Horizon League member?

« on: June 23, 2017, 02:08:26 PM »

A newspaper writer out of Detroit and internet chatter suggest that IUPUI will replace Valpo in the Horizon League, either this year or more likely the following year.  If true, I like this.  Keeps the conference footprint small and travel costs down.  Does not add a strong basketball program that would just be another obstacle for Calhoun.  Your thoughts.

33

YSU Penguin Athletics / Year in Review and the Shape of Our Programs

« on: May 15, 2017, 02:14:38 PM »

Now that baseball has been eliminated from the opportunity to participate in the conference tournament, it is time for a quick review of our athletic programs in '16-'17.  I broke it down by gender and fall, winter, and spring seasons.

Men's sports in the fall

Football.  Good.
Cross Country.  Good.  League Champions

Women's sports in the fall

Soccer.  Bad.
Volleyball.  Bad.
Cross Country.  Okay.  Fourth place in conference meet.

Men's sports in the winter

Basketball.  Bad.  But high hopes and expectations with the coaching change.
Indoor Track.  Good.  League Champions.

Women's sports in the winter

Basketball.  Incomplete.  Injuries to three starters, including the best two players.
Indoor Track.  Good.  League Champions
Swimming.  Bad. 

Men's sports in the spring

Baseball.  Bad.  Modest progress with a new coach.
Outdoor Track.  Good.  League Champions.
Tennis.  Good.  2nd place tie in regular season.  Lost in semifinals of the tournament to the champion by score of 4-3.
Golf.  Bad.

Women's sports in the spring

Softball.  Good.  2nd place in regular season and the tournament.
Tennis.  Good.  League Champions.
Golf.  Good.  2nd place in the league tournament.
Outdoor Track.  Good.  League Champions.
Bowling.  Good.  25th rated DI program in final rankings in April.

In the Horizon League, we won six titles.  Oakland and Cleveland State are next with three each.  With baseball left, Wright State and Milwaukee have zero.  You know, the schools with fans that actually want to kick us out of the league!

34

YSU Penguin Athletics / Big Day for Track and Softball

« on: May 07, 2017, 07:39:02 PM »

Congratulations to both the men and the women for winning Horizon League track and field championships today.  Winning never gets boring no matter how many times you accomplish this feat.

Also congratulations to the softball team for finishing second during the regular season and earning a bye in the first round of this week's tournament.  The team finished with a 17-7 record in league play and overall were three games over .500.  That does not sound impressive until you consider that they lost something like 13 straight games in the South to start the season. 

35

YSU Penguin Athletics / Spring Practice

« on: February 27, 2017, 06:35:25 PM »

Practice started today.  I am surprised that no one has mentioned this.  From a brief clip on tv21, Ricky Davis is working out at the wideout position.

36

YSU Penguin Athletics / 2 More Track Championships

« on: February 26, 2017, 03:58:14 PM »

Congratulations to both the men and the women for yet another outstanding performance at the conference meet. 

37

YSU Penguin Athletics / Favorable Playoff Scenario

« on: November 06, 2016, 11:29:40 AM »

Amidst the gloom and doom this morning, all of it perfectly justified, we should not lose sight of the fact that we remain in a very strong position to end that absurd ten-year streak of futility.   Unlike prior years, our two remaining games are against teams with really bad defenses.  In conference action, Southern Illinois gives up 34 points and 451 yards per game; Missouri State is worse, 39 and 467.  Neither team can run much.  Both are pass-happy which should play right into the hands of our defense.  If we move the ball like with did against that excellent defense yesterday, we should find the end zone (finally) often.

Also, several good things happened in other leagues yesterday.  The CAA started the day with seven teams with three or fewer losses.  That number has now been diminished to four.  A mediocre Gardner-Webb beat Charleston Southern, making the Big South a one bid conference.  Most importantly, Western Illinois lost again and remains behind us in the standings.  And next week I expect Northern Iowa will blow Western right off the field and hand them a fourth league loss.

The MVFC, the Big Sky, and the CAA will all get four spots in the playoffs.  For us it should be NDSU, SDSU, YSU, and likely 6-5 UNI, who I expect not only to beat WIU on the road next week but also to handle SDSU at home during the final week.

38

YSU Penguin Athletics / Northern Iowa

« on: October 10, 2016, 12:56:40 PM »

It has been three years since we have seen these guys.  Their success over an extended period of time (at least until December ) was based upon a strong defense and power football with high quality at running back, receiver, and quarterback.  Now it is dangerous and stupid to draw definitive conclusions from one game, but watching the replay of their South Dakota game on ESPN3 I saw none of these elements.  Incredibly, they now also run the spread.  Their running backs and receivers are competent but not the same caliber they we had faced in the past.  Their quarterback is very quick and dangerous when he gets some space but rather pedestrian while in the pocket.  And their defense gave up numerous big plays to a South Dakota offense that was dormant against us until the last seven minutes.

Of course, all of this means nothing if we don't play up to our capabilities.

39

YSU Penguin Athletics / Women's Basketball: 3rd in the NATION in GPA

« on: August 02, 2016, 01:54:02 PM »

We have come to expect a top 25 academic finish each year, but this is an amazing accomplishment.  These young women represent everything that is right about college athletics.  To think that it was less than a decade since the two-headed, politically correct monster of Hill-Martin had utterly destroyed this program.  Congratulations to the players, coaches, parents, and everyone else that made this possible.

40

YSU Penguin Athletics / Two More Track Championships

« on: May 08, 2016, 04:25:28 PM »

Congratulations to both the men and the women.  Well done, as usual.

41

YSU Penguin Athletics / Can We Finally Forget About the MAC?

« on: March 28, 2016, 05:27:47 PM »

While searching for info about the final roster moves for the Indians, I found this on today's Plain Dealer website.  It is a slideshow that lists the most recent (2014-2015 academic year) athletic spending for Ohio's public universities.  As you can see, the gap between YSU and Ohio MAC schools is now enormous.  Here are the expense dollars listed in millions.

14.9  YSU
21.8  Bowling Green
26.3  Kent
27.1  Ohio University
29.9  Toledo
32.8  Miami
34.1  Akron

To round out the list, Cincinnati is at 51.7 while Ohio States stands at 154.

This data tells me that there are only two state schools that are responsible in spending on sports.  Ohio State whose professional sports machine generates much more revenue than its expenses.  And Youngstown State who understands that it is not big time and funds its sports accordingly.  The Ohio MAC schools are guilty of ripping off their students and Ohio taxpayers with their extravagant athletic spending, all in the hopeless quest of being considered "big time."  Don't you just love Akron, who spends 19 more million than we do as that school fires employees and drops academic programs.  All for a "big time" football program that played last year, according to the Beacon Journal, in front of an average of about 5,000 actual fans.

42

YSU Penguin Athletics / McFadden Wants the Job

« on: February 22, 2016, 06:43:24 PM »

Akron assistant coach McFadden was interviewed by TV21 this evening.  He stated that he is ready to be a head coach and wants the YSU job, citing his local ties.  I thought that this was a strange interview, given that the university has given no indication whatsoever that Slocum will be relieved of his duties.

43

YSU Penguin Athletics / MVFC after the initial week

« on: September 06, 2015, 11:25:14 AM »

Some surprising developments after week 1.  The three teams with the most hype all got off to less than stellar starts.  Illinois State looked inept against Iowa, despite the two dangerous weapons in their backfield.  The 31-14 score is misleading as they got two late touchdowns against Iowa's reserves in garbage time.  Northern Iowa was even more inept against lowly (by FBS standards) Iowa State, getting crushed 31-7.  And for those of you that missed this, Montana at home lost to Cal Poly, 20-19, on a last second field goal.  That is the same offense that torched NDSU.  Montana also gave up 330 yards on the ground.  Remember how bad NDSU running backs looked in that contest.

The middle of the conference did quite well.  SDSU scored at will against a very bad (by FBS standards) Kansas team.  Southern Illinois lost a shootout to Indiana, although Indiana suspended nine players just before the kickoff.  Western Illinois had an easy time with a bad Eastern Illinois team.

Bottom line.  The MVFC looks not only tough but wide open.

44

YSU Penguin Athletics / Basketball to play at Purdue

« on: June 05, 2015, 12:15:25 AM »

For those who care, it was called to my attention by one of the best YSU fans that the men's basketball team will play at Purdue on December 12.

45

YSU Penguin Athletics / Neutral site for Horizon League basketball tournament?

« on: May 06, 2015, 11:34:15 PM »

There are media reports that the Horizon League is about to enter into a five year agreement to play the basketball tournament in a big city arena.  The location....I am not making this up....Detroit.   At Joe Louis Arena.

Safe city.  Garden spot and big tourist attraction.  Sure to attract massive crowds.  Makes perfect sense, doesn't it?

If true, I wonder if they will hold the women's tournament in the same venue like the MAC does in Cleveland.  Would be nice to get that out of Green Bay.