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Date Posted: 08:26:47 02/07/03 Fri
Author: Stagsfan
Subject: Elsberry at it again

Once again, Elsberry finds the negative lining in eliminating hockey and football. Yes, it's sad for the the players, and it will be hard for hockey to play it's last 10 games knowing they're going to be broken up. But as we have said for a long on this board, these decisions were coming. It's not like fans were lining up to watch these two sports. They're money losers and had to go. Give Doris some credit for being honest enough to realize these two sports could not go on in their present situation.

Now, whether or not he should have tried to move the football team up a notch to a Patriot League level is another story. But give him credit, Elsberry, for having the guts to know that MAAC hockey and MAAC football aren't cutting it.

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Replies:

[> Re: Elsberry at it again -- DitchMitch, 08:55:08 02/07/03 Fri

But why would the Fairfield administration have started the football program ~6 years ago if they weren't going to see it through? They had to know up front it would be a money loser, but I assume they had specific benefits it would bring that would justify the financial losses. To disband football after just ~6 years has me shaking my head, thinking of all the better uses that money could have gone to, including supporting existing sports at the time (perhaps we would not have had to disband the hockey program). I guess you can look at it as better the shut them down now nowto better support the other sports, but I wonder why they ever started football in the first place. If the Administration bit off more than it could chew with football, mistakes happen, but I'd at least like to see them be a bit more forthcoming about it.

I'll also be curious over the next few years to see what happens at Sacred Heart (football & hockey) and Quinnipiac (hockey). Will they be able to achieve longer-term success? It will be interesting to see.


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[> [> Re: Elsberry at it again -- Stagman, 10:48:55 02/07/03 Fri

I believe the MAAC started football a few years back because there was a fear at the time that Division I teams who did not have football and were not affiliated with big conferences, might not be eligible for the NCAA tourney.

The big schools were squawking that the little schools were stealing their money, not only by getting bids, but by occasionally knocking off big names teams and denying them big pay days. Let us not forget that for major conferences, football and basketball are big time business. They will do whatever they can to keep mid to low majors down.

Look at all the rules that have been instituted over the years.

Shot clock for example. In theory, was meant to be a big benefit to the up tempo, athletic, big time teams and to reduce the possibility of an upset by a patient, slow it down upstart. Didn't happen, but that was one of the goals.

How about infractions? Remember the penalty Darren Phillip received for his 'infraction'? When's the last time you heard something like that happen to a big time school? Down here in the DC area, in the last week there was a story of Maryland paying a potential football recruit a few hundred bucks. How much you wanna bet they get some minor penalty, like loss of one football scholarship. Or maybe they won't have the right to televise their opener next year against Podunk Tech.

Sometimes small schools have to do things that don't make a whole lot of sense on the surface. I think in this case, the MAAC schools felt they didn't have much of a choice.


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[> [> [> Re: Elsberry at it again -- MC Class of 98, 15:27:28 02/07/03 Fri

IN fact those kids were not allowed to sign at Maryland - where they wanted to go. Not sure of the school penalty - but losing two somewhat big time recruits is a pretty stiff penalty.

The rule about having D-I football only applies if you HAVE Football. No rule about having to have football - but it has to be D-I if you do.


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[> [> Re: Elsberry at it again -- GOSTAGS, 15:31:09 02/07/03 Fri

It will be interesting to see what happens with SHU and QU as far as those sports go...My guess is that QU will survive with hockey because they have deemed it as one of their top sports...they have plans for an on-campus rink and all...expensive yes ...but if that is the only sport that they are putting a truck load of cash into then it will probably survive....Hockey will still exist on a club level at FU...maybe someday it will come back.....as far as SHU's program...who knows?..MAAC football might completely fall apart...I don't know what type of money they give to their sports and what kind of alum support they have ...I'll be curious to see what happens....


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[> Re: Elsberry at it again -- 9STAG1, 20:00:10 02/07/03 Fri

Sorry to inform you Stagsfan but all F.U. sports are money losers, with the exception being men's basketball (possibly). And fans aren't lining up to watch any Fairfield sports either for that matter. This decision reeks of Title IX compliance to me, not any great money savings.


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