What have they done to deserve these accolades?

2008pards · What have they done to deserve these accolades?

In turning to another topic since it seems no one is interested in "talking LC Football" on the LC board yet, There is one thing that has been bugging me and that is I am amazed at all the self love, laurels and accolades Lehigh posters seem to be heaping on their football team this year.

WHAT HAVE THEY DONE to deserve these bouquets? They've gone 5-6 2 years in a row. They lose 2 & 3 year staters at many positions and some of their best players from last year's team. Specifically, they lose RB Matt McGowan, WR Sekou Yansane, WR Mike Fitzgerald, OL Kevin Bayani, DL Brian Jackson, LB Tim Diamond, FS Brendan VanAckeren, SS Quadir Carter and P/K Jason Leo.

They lost the following: Top 2 rushers, top 3 receivers, starting TE (making it 4 of their top 5 receivers), 4 year starting Punter and Kicker and their top 3 tacklers and yet amazingly they're better than last year?

They've won 16 games the last 3 years (and lost 17).

I grant you they have a good QB and solid LB's but who runs the ball? Who catches the ball? Who kicks? Who makes plays on offense? After reading the boards, I am sure they are "LOADED" with tremendous talent that just couldn't get on the field last year but come on, who's zooming who here?

You have some of their more rabid fans saying things like the "PL gets 2 bids this year" (of course) one of them being LU and the other HC, and have Lehigh ranked as a solid #2 in the PL. Personally, I think it's funny how the PL Champion last year (Colgate) and the PL Champion the previous year (Fordham) with 12 and 15 starters returning respectively are both barely mentioned then just as quickly dismissed as contenders for the PL title while Lehigh with 10 returning starters is seen as no worse than 2nd in the PL while HC with 15 returning starters is first and LC with 12 is a distant 4 or 5th in most of their polls. According to some, LU will have either the most "dominating" D (in the world or PL, it doesn't really stipulate) or an explosive O but returns the fewest number of starters in the entire PL 10.

Never mind their top returning tackler was a CB, their top returning receiver had 13 CATCHES last year and their top returning RB had 31 RUSHING YARDS (I know he was hurt last year and had almost 400 yrds rushing 2 yrs ago) in 2008.

Not to take anything away from any of the kids, I'm certain they'll all play very well but it just seems a little early to annoint this team as "the one" without them having done anything of note the past few years and with the number of last years starters gone.

I don't know how good any of the teams in the PL will be. But here's what I do feel reasonably sure of:

Colgate will be tough especially running with Eachus & Sullivan and Simonds is a very, very good receiver.

HC will throw the ball extremely well but will struggle with running it and defending it.

Fordham will be better than last year. Both Skelton's are tough to defend and the Rams are better than they played last year.

Bucknell will be the surprise team of the league. They have a real good QB (Trigg) and a great receiver in Pasternak who can really play. If they play some defense they can outscore a lot of teams.

Georgetown is coming. They will win at least 1 maybe 2 PL games this year.

Lehigh will be good on both sides of the ball, have a good QB and tough LB corps but will struggle without McGowan to run the ball especially in crunch time.

LC will be good maybe even very good running the ball if OL stays intact and healthy. Kicking game is solid, On D, LB's and secondary are obvious strengths.

Overall, I don't see anybody running away with the League. The only team you can count out of the hunt to win the whole thing is Georgetown. The rest are all capable of beating one another or losing to one another any given Saturday.

There are way too many question marks for me to say any one will run away with the league but here goes my picks for the PL this year:

1.Colgate (4-2)
2.LC (4-2)
3.HC (3-3)
4.LU (3-3)
5.Fordham (3-3)
6.Bucknell (3-3)
7.Georgetown (1-5)

Franks Tanks · Re: What have they done to deserve these accolades?

2008pards

FT

We seem to be in accord here on Lehigh. However, I don't think we are on HC though. They lose a lot of offensive firepower in the receivers and TE and both their number 1 & 2 RB's. I know Gilmore and Randolph will just reload but it may take time to acclimate them. Also, while they return a lot on D, their D wasn't anything to write home about. LC put up 34 with our back up QB and injured TB's and still should have beaten them if not for a blown coverage with 6 seconds left on the clock. They do not scare me at all. LC seems to play well there and there's the revenge factor going into that game to boot.

Colgate is the tough one. I really think if LC can stay relatively healthy and that includes Mo White, LC can play and beat anyone in the PL. It's the tough OOC schedule that worries me. Liberty has the revenge factor on us as does Penn. Apparently LC has never beaten Yale so who knows about that one and we owe Harvard for at least the last 2 years running (and seemingly many, many more after checking the All-Time series stats).

Keeping their head above water may be a little tough but if LC can get through those 4 games OOC at at no worse than 2-2, making them 4-2 at that point, they could have a real nice year and definitely contend for the PL Title.

That's how I see it (at least as of 11:54 AM on August 31st !!!).

Franks Tanks

seenalot

Its preseason - what do the facts have to do with this?

And, since when has Lehigh not seen themselves as having a God given right to the PL crown - especially in the pre-season. Lets see what happens after one or two early losses and the chants of "Coen must go" surface. Besides by having had an awful showing against them last November we contributed to their current perception.

We are back in our semi-familiar (comfortable?) role of underdog, who with a few breaks, some WRs stepping up and a healthy OL can make some noise.

RichH

While we are optimistic for the 1st time in 3 years, I do not see anyone of us annointing us as the PL king. Best we can do is 9-2, even those saying that point out that 8-3 or 7-4 more likely. Walker was the starter at rb before injury did him in. McGowan did great job but pardon me for thinking that we will be better at rb.Winnett also a starter before injury , our DLwill be OK but do not expect to replace an A-A and improve that spot.

No team in this league is the whole package . In reality any of 5 teams, even LC Smile

could win.

HC lost all of their wrs and their D even with so many starters returning is not great.Lots of shoot outs. Great qb and OL.

I look to Fordham to be the wid card. They should be better by far than last yr. Will they?

2008pards

Rich

I think you are the one playing coy on this board. At least 3 Lehigh guys on the AGS board have LU going 9-2 INCLUDING YOU. One guy says Lehigh 9-2 & 6-1 in PL and winning it. He also predicts LU having the most dominant D. Another guy says if LU can beat the mighty CCSU (insert mascot joke here) and "acquit themselves well" against Nova he might be willing the say "we are the one". Also, both you and another poster have Lehigh being a close 2nd in a 2 horse race.

Now come on and fess up. You do see LU as being the PL King don't ya? Come on admit it. It's okay to want to back your team. I understand. I know it's not easy but if you're man enough to type it elsewhere, be man enough to admit it here.

Walker may be great as your number 1 guy, but even when he wasn't hurt, it's not like he was unstoppable. Only time will tell on Walker. But as far as Winnett, he's your other rebuttal? Come on, he's played 11 games and made 12 tackles. 12. Not in one game but in his career. And you single him out as one of your highlights. Again, he may be the next coming, but I think I'd wait before "annointing" or at least singling him out as the heir apparent to Jackson. But that's my way of thinking, you can take it with a grain of salt.

As for the QB's, did you see the LC/LU game at your place 2 years ago or did you miss that one? I like our chances with our QB, you like your chances with yours that's fine; but to say our guy just manages a game is like saying the girl you're setting your friend up with has a nice personality. At best it's kind and charitable but in reality it's a put down. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see but 9-2 as a starter with a LC/LU game MVP and big win over the #14 team in the country ain't too shabby for a game manager is it?

BTW, the Liberty win (as most of LC's win are) was a total team win. Offense, Defense and Special Teams all contributed significantly. That pretty much defines most good teams successes. Hopefully you'll get to experience that from your team sometime soon just not this year on the 21st of November.

carney2

Squawk emotions and expectations seem to have gone from the outhouse to the penthouse based on...uh...what?...a win over Lafayette? My crystal ball has already melted an incredibly optimistic 9-2 to an at best 7-4. I agree with 2008, they are on the uptrend, but what have they done to justify this kind of optimism?

Pard94

Lehigh's fans, with a few exceptions, are the biggest bunch of baselessly arrogant homers in the PL. They finally get themselves back into the discussion by beating us last year and they revert right back to their bloviating, blow-hard selves. Let's not forget that prior to that win last year most Lehigh fans were looking up moving companies for their own coach...again.

I'm less optimistic about our team's prospects this year than I have been in the last couple of years. The reason for this? I think this year's team reminds me a lot of last year's team...without Andy Romans. It's as simple as that. That being said...I think our Offens has the chance to take the reins and drive the success of this team. I think Rudolph could be a PL star in the making. Here's how I see it this year...

Colgate - Eachus is a stud pure and simple. He is "Marsh-like" in that you can build a team around him.

Holy Cross - I know they are a one trick pony but that's a damn fine one trick they have. Randolph will be playing QB on Sundays someday and that alone is good enough for a 2nd place PL finish

Lafayette - Let's all get to know Dominic Rudolph shall we? RUDY! RUDY! RUDY!

Lehigh - This team's coming back down to earth after their lofty 5-6 mark that has all the Mountain Hawks a twitter. Hope some of those fans have held on to those moving company numbers. Look for Lafayette to beat them in November by two scores in dark and dreary Goodman.

Fordham - This will be the last we see of Fordham dwelling any position but the pole position for a while (well...maybe one more year). Schollies and their location are going to make them very appealing to 18 year olds across the country. Remember when HC was working under a different set of league rules...how'd that work out for the rest of the league? Need to level the playing field as quick as possible as this current situation is a joke.

Bucknell - I know nothing of this team which in and of itself has to mean something.

Georgetown - I have long predicted that Georgetown is the sleeping giant of the PL. I must admit I'm starting to think this giant may be comatose.

RichH

OK, I'll FESS up. I picked LU for 2nd. 8-3was my choice. I think FU will be most dangerous team this year, if they can play to their ability . ?? HC has holes but in this league great skill positions can carry a team. Randolph is that good.

Accolades? I have seen none.The experts pick LU anywhere from 2 to 4. LU fans are optimistic for once and they are ROOTING for a great season,just like Pard fans. Just as an aside Walker not even starting this week, injury? Crying or Very sad

.Doubt Campbell improved that much. We'll see.

carney2

DaveR · Re: What have they done to deserve these accolades?

Lafalum

OMG you gotta love it!! Wasn't one their ass----- supporters posting that they were too good for the patriot league on the Colgate board. Fordham gets nailed as well and HC doesn't look like the world beaters they were supposed to be!! This could be an interesting season!!

RichH

Defoinitely will be an interesting if not a good season for PL. LU totally unprepared to play Clark 7-29 with 3ints. D was very poor. They outgained us by more than 2-1. Got our butts kicked royally Embarassed

2008pards

Hey RichH

How come just because you and Fordham lost today, it's going to be an "interesting if not a good season in the PL"? Who said you were going to be any good except you and your LU cronies? I admit the Fordham loss was a whupping, but it is only the first game of the season for everyone. Boy you guys must thank God for John "Fear itself" Kennedy huh? If not for him and a busted play you would have gotten beaten by 3 scores instead of just the one. Also, looks like JB Clark had some opening day jitters. I wonder how the "average" guy from LC will do in their opener? I hope he plays better than 7-29 with 3 INT's!

PS Good luck against Nova....

RichH

Nope, I hope you are correct that my blues right now are an over reaction. So far no one other than GU has looked good. I am counting on Gate and Bucknell to play well Confused

True Clark opened the same way last year vsNova. Oh thats right we play them next week. Wink

Last year his 1st start some excuse for 4 ints. CCSU a good team but 7-29 122 yds 3ints 2tds not a good opener for a junior qb. Of course D while OK at times wore down by the 4th period. I really thought we would wear them down. Boy was I wrong.

Any of 5 teams can win this yr. I may move BU onto that list and us off it

2008pards

RichH

Today's results just show you that you can't jump to too many conclusions based on what your coaches say to the local media during pre-season practices. Or what a couple of overzealous fans read into a practice or scrimmage. Once that ball gets rolling the "faithful" believe the hype and then it becomes gospel that the team is going to be: good, real good, very good or tough to beat (take your pick) by opening day.

Clark didn't play well at the beginning of the year last year but sure played well late. He had a tough game today but it's early and it's a long season. Time will tell how good any of these teams will be. Perhaps the team to fear the most is Georgetown. They played HC tough and while they came up short, all in all a pretty good showing by the Hoyas. Colgate is Colgate and as always, there'll be there by seasons end. Don't know about HC yet though. Let's get a couple weeks into the season before we annoint anyone the prohibitive favorite.

I think and have thought since the end of last year, that this would be a pretty well balanced league from top to bottom this year with no clear cut number 1 team. I want to wait and see how the OOC stuff plays out before I can feel safe enough to declare the odds on favorite.

carney2

It's only September. Lehigh has the horses to be a decent Patriot League team by November. It's not time to write a "W" next to Lafayette for No. 145 just yet. If you can't help yourself and write in that "W" anyway, don't use ink.

My personal opinion is - and has been since last yer - that J.D. Clarke better start looking over his shoulder. My (very) limited knowledge of this situation tells me that backup Chris Lum is better, and the sooner Coen makes the switch the better off his team will be.

No local TV coverage of yesterday's Lehigh debacle (maybe cable - that other provider that does not carry the Lafayette games and which, therefore, I do not subscribe to) - so I assume that Lehigh's Saturday night appearance as the pinata at Villanova's home opener party will also not be telecast. Just as well. It will probably be X-rated.

RichH

UnfortunatelyI am going to the game with my cousin a Nova grad. it will be a painful experience. While all of us are capable of fighting for PL crown, now I want to seeus as a league improve our OOC record. maybe we can beat up on on the Ivies Laughing

Pard94

Even though it was totally predictable I find it funny/pathetic how the Chicken Hawks over on the Lehigh board are once again firing up the moving trucks for Coen. Within24 hours the guy went from the next incarnation of Mark Duffner to not worthy of coaching an intramual woman's flag football team. Instead of just coming to grips that the team might not be as good as their ridiculously over optimistic assessment of their team...it's automatically Coen's fault...again. Hey Losers...7-4 might just have been a better goal for your team instead of undefeated and winning a couple of rounds in the playoffs. Here's my predicition for Lehigh's game next week

Nova 53
Lehigh 10

Welcome back to the hot seat Coen. HA!

carney2

RichH

Sorry but I am, I think you guys can win 2 of them. Wink

Iwould expectthe Pards to start out better than the rest of us with a solid win over GU, not flashy and they will give you a game but should get you readyfor the IL games

Lafalum

The league is definitely not getting stronger which in itself would not be upsetting if we had 10 teams in the league. But it is hanging on by a thread while the world around them is changing. The crucial thing is that the Ivy League is essentially giving scholarships to everyone. So while we argue about should or shouldn't we be ramping up 15 per year to get to 60 or 57 or whatever, Harvard has 100 guys getting scholarships. That is will not help us be competitve with the Ivies in anything, especially football where you need the numbers!!
I don't see us winning more than one IVY contest unless we play enormously inspired football and they come out flat. But that's why we play the game and guys like us are sitting in stands with our beer bellies.

Pard4Life

I was at the Lehigh game yesterday... wow, they were AWFUL. Definitely not the same team we saw play last year in our loss, (which was sealed during the Holy Cross ending IMO).

Clark can't throw passes... not being chased and he throws an off-balance throw from his back foot.. pass out of bounds; hesitation in the red-zone. CCSU was running the same basic plays and Lehigh had no answer, mainly because the defense was on the field the entire time... not helped by bad Clark passes and dropped balls, and no running by Lehigh. This was within a TD throughout, and you don't bother to run to milk the clock? CCSU had the ball for 40 minutes!

I can see the Lehigh fans' perspective on why Coen should be fired, especially after this game, but hey, he can stay as long as he likes, as far as we are concerned I'm sure.

Pard4Life

And I guess I never posted my PL predictions.. yesterday not withstanding...

1. Colgate
1. Holy Cross
1. Lafayette
4. Fordham
5. Lehigh
6. Bucknell
7. G'town

Yes, a three-way tie for first.

RichH

Not Coen trey Brown the OC started last yr same way. Its as if he has to be retrained every year. Clark was indeed very bad. Lum will be starter by PL games, if Clark does not regain form. Unfair in a way not all his fault but w/o at least a 7-4 year we will be looking for a new staff Mad

2008pards

I started this thread asking what had LU done to deserve the accolades they were getting uh I mean giving themselves (the rabid, arrogant and cocksure fans not the kids mind you) and it has played out exactly as I expected. LU may indeed be pretty good by November, but to say they were going to be the PL champs and go 8-3 , 9-2 etc was just a little too much to take when THEY HADN'T DONE ANYTHING TO DESERVE THE ACCOLADES & by my reckoning still haven't. Now go to Nova and beat them and maybe I'll start to think they might be special but clearly they are not that team and certainly not yet.

It's interesting how fast the eggheads on their boards jump ship when something goes wrong. A week ago JB Clark was the second coming, today they're saying he'll probably be replaced by mid-season or for the PL run. WOW! Talk about a short leash and an even shorter memory. Wasn't he the guy we all last saw walking off with the MVP Trophy for his play in number 144? Did he regress so much in his VERY NEXT game to have the faithless er faithful call for his head? What a bunch of lunatics and mamby-pamby's those lehigh posters are. I sure wouldn't want them in a foxhole. You would expect to get it in the back if anything went wrong. Ready, Fire, Aim. That's the lehigh posters' way.

I listened to part of the game on the radio on my way there and then turned it back on for the post game. What a zoo! The announcers were not only big time homers and cry babies, they also trotted out excuse after excuse for the loss. Instead of simply saying, " LU got their heads handed to them today by a better team" They very begrudgingly gave CCSU some props for their play but then used the old "it is a scholarship team afterall" line as another possible excuse for lehigh getting blown out (the final score notwithstanding). CCSU really DOMINATED EVERY ASPECT OF THE GAME WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF THE KICK RETURN SEGMENT!!! Don't take my word for it, read the box score and tell me if lehigh was ever really competitive in the game.

One of the guys on the radio said the Ref was getting an earful from the CCSU sideline on a critical "Too many men on the field" penalty when the game was still within reach for lehigh. The Ref's call was they're were twelve men on the field. There weren't 12 men on the field, there were 14 on the field! The Ref did get the number wrong but got the call right. It was delayed because on that play one of the other officials actually got hurt and went down during the exchange. That's why it seemed like an eternity before the flag was dropped. It wasn't due to the CCSU HC's chirping, heck if that's the way it works then Coach T should get every call possible the way he "chirps" on the sidelines at games.

Another point, on the sole lehigh touchdown drive of the day ( their other scores were a KO return and a broken coverage 58 yd pass play) at the end of the first half, one announcer said, after watching the replay of a pass interference call that went against CCSU "it looked like Zurn (lehigh WR) had interfered with the defender". Immediately the other announcer started to say something then just stopped (he must have re-watched the replay again) and laughed and said words to the effect of "oh well those types of things happen, good for lehigh". I just found it funny for him to, during the post game wrap up, complain about the lateness of the one call but not bring up the other wrong call that went his team's way. He did say he wasn't sure if the 12 man call was the right call or not, just that the CCSU HC must have got into the Ref's ear and coaxed that call out of him.

What a homer! Just be truthful and own up to it. If it's a bad call say so. If it's the right call even if it goes against your team, admit that too! In the LU announcers booth, is there such a thing as journalistic integrity or does it simple go out the window when the call benefits your team? What a farce that post game show was. Glad it's the last one I'll hear this year.

In other fun lehigh related news, today's LU whipping boy is either HC Coen, OC Trey Brown, QB JB Clark, the heat, the amount of time their "D" was on the field, the Ref's late call, players weren't adequately prepared, too many players are not progressing from yr to yr or (F) ALL THE ABOVE.

Hardly anyone has had the gumption to stand up and say LU flat out got beat by a better team and that maybe, just maybe their overinflated, unrealistic view of their team wasn't justified...at least not yet.

They'd at least garner some respect around the league and among the competition if they'd admit that they weren't real good yesterday and simply were out-played. The only guy to actually say that is the guy they are crucifying on the boards....Coen.

I heard from CCSU fans and parents who told me they were being taunted by the lehigh fanatics at the start of the game. The best part of the game for CCSU was the end when it was awfully quiet across the field on the lehigh side and the CCSU players and coaches were making noise on the field looking at the final score. Arrogance is only permissible if it is backed up by performance. I coached my teams to keep their mouths shut and play the game. The team with the most points at the end doesn't have to say a word, the scoreboard speaks volumes.

This week it's LC 's turn to see what they can DO not what they can say. Talk's cheap, performance counts!!

Go Pards!!!! Beat Georgetown!!

RichH

Geez 2008,

I think we've all admitted that we got our asses kicked by a better team and in a game where our O was terrible. Why not spend some time rooting for your team and less kicking us while we're flat out and looking at 0-2 and another slide into mediocrity

carney2

2008pards

RichH & Carney2

You two are really missing the point of my post. I would hope you both understand the distinction between addressing the obnioxious self-indulgent LU posters and taking a shot at the football team. For many and various reasons, I spend most of the year rooting for LC and hardly any of that time is spent kicking or fussing about LU. It's just that there are times when the amount of arrogance and elitism that comes from the lehigh posters is so grating that I feel compelled (on rare occasion) to address it. And let's be fair, most of the posts on the various LU boards give CCSU at best a backhanded compliment for yesterday's game and then proceed to make excuse after excuse for your team's defeat.

Your posters for the most part exclude CCSU from the equation when discussing what went wrong yesterday. Your team was not the better team and were just beaten. Say that 5 times and then go on to talk about what needs to be done to improve as the season progresses. Just make sure to give CCSU their due and not in a falsely modest kind of way.

It happens. Sometimes the better team wins. It's okay. It's a long season. You'll get it together I think. There are some real talented players on your roster. I look forward to 11/21, but I'm really looking forward to 9/12 at Georgetown and then every Saturday up to the one before Thanksgiving. Each in turn. I like to let each week play out then go and see the game in person if possible.

Lastly, please know that while I may at times "kick" the lu posters, I never ever take shots at the kids, never the kids. The great majority of these young men are out on the field trying their best to perform to the highest levels; it's you (a true fan and not usually an over-the-top arrogant so and so) and your compatriots (many of whom must truly believe the sun rises and sets on Goodman Stadium and all things lehigh) that created such outlandish expectations for the squad that most of my harsher comments are directed towards.

I simply thought the expectations should have been taken down a notch from the jump for LU. I just said that in my review of the upcoming season, I felt that they hadn't done anything to deserve their lofty status in some people's minds (your fellow mountain hawkers). It was your side who rachetted up the noise and hype. "Under promise and over deliver" is always a good method to employ when approaching a season, especially one that has you coming off consecutive losing seasons coupled with substantial losses due to graduation and some injuries. It wasn't me that built LU up to the level of PL Titlist contenders. It's a long way down from the top and the road for your team doesn't get any easier. Keep the faith, just keep it real.

See you in late November.

RichH

No, 2008 I do not miss your point. However, while there are a couple of moronic posters for every school ,except GU, you mistake the hope of most LU posters that the mediocrity of the last 5 yrs will end. It is not that we think we are better than anyone else it is that we feel that we should be better than we are and it is frustrating to see us not play up to our expectations.

Also, CCSU can pat themselves on their own backs. I only care about how badly we played not how well they played.

Pard94

TheRock90

2008, this is the LC board. I don't give a rats ass about what LUs poster say. They've said nothing on this board. If you have a problem with their posts, take it to their board or wherever it is they post.

Lets worry about what we need to do not what a few LU posters say. The real LU fans have acknowledged that got stomped. All of it means nothing its what happens on the field that counts.

What have they done to deserve these accolades?

Re: What have they done to deserve these accolades?

Re: What have they done to deserve these accolades?