Ivy Power Rankings Week 5
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INJUSTICE
It has come to my attention via several sources that a valued starting player has been kicked off the team by Coach Norries Wilson for throwing his helmet after the Lions loss to Penn Saturday. I will not publicly name the player to shield him from further embarrassment.
I bring up this incident not only because it was an extremely harsh punishment that needs to be rescinded, but because Coach Wilson himself was guilty of the same kind of helmet throwing after the loss at Princeton.
That incident is also confirmed by several sources.
This expulsion of this excellent player cannot stand.
Ivy Power Rankings
1. Harvard
Still in the driver's seat after a thorough beat down of Bucknell. Both the offense and defense are totally clicking.
2. Brown
The Bears totally embarrass Princeton and make it clear they are still a championship caliber team. All Brown can do is keep playing like this and hope Harvard somehow stumbles.
3. Penn
The Quakers are 2-0 in the league, but they sure don't look like they're in Harvard and Brown's league. Remember, Penn still has to play both those teams on the road.
4. Yale
The Elis are just a different team on the road... a bad team.
5. Cornell
A very impressive near win for the Big Red at Colgate. This offense is actually one of the best in the league.
6. Dartmouth
A close loss to Holy Cross doesn't quite push the Big Green up the rankings. Coach Teevens is now in hot water as he just can't find an answer at QB and the much-hyped Dartmouth squad is now 1-4.
7. Princeton
A total humiliation at Brown has the Tigers and Bob Surace right back at the bottom again.
8. Columbia
Still winless and more obviously without good leadership than ever. A better coaching staff and this team is easily 3-2 and maybe 4-1.
posted by Jake @ 7:29:00 AM
26 comments
26 Comments:
If your report about the player is true, it's clear the Coach is melting down under the pressure.
Jake, you've made your point. Time to throttle back the venom. You're embarrassing yourself more than Wilson at this point. No one gets kicked off a team for throwing his helmet after a bad loss. If what your sources say is true, there's a back story.
You've done a good job with your blog, and that get you some latitude in expressing your criticism of the coaching staff. It doesn't get you a say in the locker room. And consider that if Wilson indeed did what you say, and he were to reconsider, your precipitous and intrusive post makes it more difficult for him to do so.
You're stepping over the line into self-indulgence, Jake. Sowing the seeds of dissension within the team, assuming any of them bother to read web postings at this point, doesn't help. It's well below the fine standard you had set until now. Take a deep breath, buddy. Time to apologize
The report is true, it has been confirmed by many people. But he is now back on the team, so it appeared to be a temporary thing. Glad to know Wilson is officially losing it
Respectfully, I disagree. If Jake is reporting an incident that is additionally reflective of Norries' poor judgement, then it must be brought to light. I am sure that this was confirmed by multiple sources. If indeed the player is back on the team, then great! However, the hypocrisy of the alleged Princeton incident is equally troubling. As a side note, I assume that Jake is also privy to a greatvdeal of information that he is NOT publishing. Let's keep it tame, otherwise Norries will be forced to defend such accusations.
I don't really agree with the second post but I do think we need to recognize the team played well and showed grit on Saturday. If we play like that in the second half, we'll get better results.
Dismayed - Please tell Diane that you are a good puppet and that you did your job (and you hid behind your anonymous post). Jake, embarrassing himself? Look in the mirror pal. Let's assume that the story about kicking the player off the team because of the helmet incident is true (I have confirmed that via my son as well), and now he is back onto team. What does that say about the character o Coach Wilson? What does that say about YOU, and the Univrsity, advocating such behavior?
if people think Al Bagnoli doesn't call out players publicly and in the locker room, they are fools.
Dismayed I won't identify myself because I am not really supposed to be making comments, but, Wilson did tell that player in the post-game meeting in the locker room that he was off the team at the time. Nothing more to it other than throwing his helmet. Something needed to be said/done, but, from what I am being told it only served to piss off the other players off even more which says volumes in itself.
Individuals, groups and even the closest of families will argue, disagree and often say & do things in the heat of the moment that they later regret. It appears this was one of those moments. Let's move on and get ready for Dartmouth. Go Lions.
I'm trying to picture myself as a coach in the locker room after such a heartbreaking loss. And I can't quite do it. (The likely apocryphal story of Knute Rockne leaving his down ND team alone at halftime,then just opening the door and saying quietly, "Let's go, girls," does, however, come to mind.)
So I think going after Norries for his chastening of a player, however it was handled, may be a bit much. Indeed, Jake, it may be time to, as another poster well put it, "throttle back the venom." It just doesn't help at this point.
I understand everyone else's frustration. Whoo boy do I! But so little of the skein of adversarial comments about Norries (and Dianne and even Bill Campbell) helps at this point.
None of us posting here was in fact in that locker room for that moment. That alone should make us cautionary. But sadly, it does not. Frustration breeds impatience. And ever-increasing verbal harshness on this site, I fear.
I am 100% sure Bagnoli calls out players and loses his temper but he gets something we don't....WINS! I am quite sure getting yelled at and winning is different than getting yelled at a losing MISERABLY! These guys deserve better than this.
The hard truth
Forget all the refs' bad calls and the other things that happened in the first 58 minutes of the game. When you're second down and two on the 4 yard line trailing by 3 with 1:39 left to go...you have put yourself in a position to beat a solid Penn team. This team if coached by Estes, Murphy or Bagnoli wins the game through proper play calling, team discipline (no false starts) and clock management. There should never have even been time left for a last drive by Penn.
Jake - this blog is devolving into DailyKos.
Conspiracy theories. Fighting the power. Echo chamber of comments...
In my opinion, pretty much everyone has voiced their opinion on the need for a new coaching staff, including me. I think Dr. Murphy, Bill Campbell and the President's Office are aware of the thoughts from this blog. We seem to be piling on, and the blog is veering far from its original intent, which is a place to talk about Columbia football, and other sports to a lesser degree. With how the student athletes must feel at this point in the season, I feel we need to provide them support and let them know that we are very supportive of them. Dartmouth is next up, and they seem to be having a season that they did not imagine having. If we can play hard, eliminate mental mistakes, have fair officiating and no squib kicks, we have a great opportunity to get our first win. I hope on Saturday to be celebrating the victory.
Back to praising the players: (1) Kalisi Huggins made a terrific play in stripping the Penn running back from the ball and then advancing 10+ yards. Jake, you need to make him at least our co-MVP of the Week; (2) Sean Brackett and Lou DiNovo hooked up for as pretty a 41 yard pass-run as you will ever see. Let's do that play again, guys; (3) Kurt Williams made a spectacular clutch catch of the fourth down pass. It was, by necessity, a high hard NFL pass and Williams caught it; (4) Hamilton Garner made some terrific catches again at tight end. Garner is a weapon, and we need to throw more to him; (5) Brackett made some really nice runs towards the end of the game. That reminded me of the old young Brackett of the last two years. Please keep running the ball, Sean; (6) Josh Martin, Ryan Murphy and some of the other defenders made some monster hits. Keep it up, guys; (7) Our PAT/Field Goal Team, and particularly, Luke Eddy, came thru big in the clutch. Just a matter of time in my mind before Eddy goes over 50 yards; 8) Delaney did a nice job punting the ball in maybe his third game as the starter--good lift and placement--like Eddy, I think it's just a matter of time before he starts booming kicks consistently over 40; (9) I don't know what happened with the squib kick, but until then Guttas was kicking for distance, if not for height. He even kicked one for a touchback. Just needs to work on getting some more lift; and (10) Freshman wide receiver Dan Slivka from Pennsylvania caught his first varsity pass.
Why not throw the ball more often to DiNovo in the slot?
No secret that Brackett throws the ball beautifully in every direction, but the short right side.
to the last poster I say....here here!
I am traveling 9000 miles and 20 hours to come see the Lions beat Dartmouth (my brother's Alma Mater). Can such an act of insane fanaticism give the team a little inspiration? If we win, my brother must sing RLR to me in public. Please team, I have sung Men of Dartmouth far too many times.
Bring it all together, hit them hard and put them down.
Chen '82
Our captain, Mike Stephens, in civvies again. Boy do we miss him! How about a status report on his injury?
Kurt Williams has developed into an outstanding wide receiver. Magnificent catch against Penn!
Chen '82, you are amazing. Jake, you have do a story on this guy. I thought I was Columbia's #1 fan, but this guy makes me look bad. In fact, he makes all college football fans look bad. Come on guys, let's beat Dartmouth for Chen!!!
"Win One For the (long) Tripper"
Jake, I would love to shake your hand at the game
Chen '82
Jake will be the one wearing body armour at the game. Would still love to see Jake in one of the post-game news conferences. If for nothing else, to see Norries squirm and for entertainment purposes.
Beware Jake, if you go to Ms. Bellows Falls DiNer, some people may think that there is collusion...
If the Spec is calling for Norries' resignation, then it should be all over. Why not resign with dignity, like Francona.
I agree with The Hard Truth.
If you wanted to see a well coached team you saw no better example of proper play calling, team discipline (no false starts) and clock management on PENN'S LAST DRIVE...
Doc -
The difference is, the bogus call on Jeff Adams hurt the Columbia drive, and the bogus call on Ross Morand helped the Penn drive.
If the officials had called the interference penalty on the receiver (as they should have) it would completely obliterate your argument.
People here are in full-on denial if they are putting everything on the coaches. The world isn't that black and white.
As the Dartmouth fans know from last year, the officials are often in the Bag.
Just returned from the Homecoming trip to NYC. Once again, NYC blew me away. It truly is a recruiting tool. Observations on the game:
1.)there was not a lot of difference between talent on these two teams. Our players did not somehow play over the heads the whole game.
2.)A big crowd helps the players. If you ever wonder whether attendance makes a difference to the players, it does. Honor their effort, attend their games!
3.) Objectively, it was an exciting collegiate football game between two evely matched teams. Hard hitting, back and forth play, down to the wire finish. New Yorkers need to be aware of the super value that is Ivy League football. Subway takes you there, beautiful setting on the Hudson, great athletes putting on a great show. Does not cost a fortune. What a way to spend a fall Saturday.
4.) Subjectively, defense showed what it can do when it hits hard and wraps up. Still a little confused on substitution patterns tho. WRs played big time. DeNovo, Williams, Havas, Hamilton all were outstanding. Brackett is one tough, bad a$$, courageous player. Hope he can make it through the season, but the kid is obviously hurting. Special teams was much improved from last week as they made two field goals, two PATs, punt turnover on return, nice high spirals into a stiff wind. Kickoff coverage needs to improve.
5.) Officiating was more than suspect. When available, replay should be used to determine calls. Conference does a disservice to the boys by not allowing for this. This crew was incompetent in most phases of the game. Also, hire adults to operate the chains. That group operating the box and chains cost CU a first down, gave one to Penn, was consistently slow on setting down and spotting ball, and moved the box before the penalty was called. This is in CU's control, take advantage of it. You may even want to elect to have the box on CU's sideline.
Again, I had a marvelous experience over the weekend. thanks for your efforts boys. Now play like you showed us on saturday and you will come home from Hanover with a victory!
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