Monthly Archives: August 2010

August 13, 2010 · 12:07 am

THE COOLEST HELMET IN THE DAKOTA ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Here’s a new feature to help all of us get in the mood for football season! I’ll be going through the NAIA and NCAA Division 3 conference by conference and looking at the coolest helmets in each. 

 

Team: Black Hills State Yellowjackets

Site: http://www.bhsu.edu/Athletics/tabid/82/Default.aspx

Comment: “Up and at’em….Atom Ant!” The Black Hills State helmet sports one of those mascots who are so cool-looking they should have their own cartoon series!

As always, football helmets courtesy of The Helmet Project at: http://www.nationalchamps.net/Helmet_Project/

For some of NCAA Division 3′s Coolest-Named Teams click here: https://glitternight.com/d3-20-coolest/   

 For the NAIA edition of The 20 Coolest College Sports Teams You May Never Have Heard Of click here: https://glitternight.com/2010/06/21/the-20-coolest-named-college-sports-teams-you-may-have-never-heard-of-naia-edition/ 

And for The 20 Coolest College Sports Logos click here: https://glitternight.com/2010/07/20/the-20-coolest-college-sports-logos

Balladeer’s Blog is not affiliated with or operated by the NAIA or the NCAA or any of their member institutions. 

© Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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August 12, 2010 · 12:10 am

QUICK TAKES – VARIETY PACK STYLE

Guilt By Association –  The Saint Ambrose Fighting Bees were picked to come in second in The Association’s Midwest League in the Conference’s football preseason poll (They were tied for second with the Grand View Vikings). The McKendree Bearcats were picked to repeat as Midwest League champs. St Ambrose kicks off its 2010 season at the Trinity International Trojans on Sept 4th.

This Crew Is Anything But Motley – Rob Weber, head rowing coach for the Franklin and Marshall Diplomats, announced this week that three-year veterans Brittany George and Ho Hong Lau (better known as the Kobe and LeBron of Men’s Crew) were elected captains of their respective teams by their teammates. Forget what’s going on with the Miami Heat this year, B.G. and Double-H are the combo to watch!

If You’ve Got Half A Mind To Run A Marathon – The Lewis-Clark State Warriors are hosting the Clearwater Half-Marathon on August 21st. The year has yet to be announced. (I’m kidding! The year will be 1973) The event raises money for the Warriors’ athletic department and cross-country program. Lewis-Clark State is located in Lewiston, ID and that city’s Chamber of Commerce is located near Hell’s Canyon! Not since Elvis Presley sang the eminently forgettable song “Compliments Of Fort Lauderdale Chamber Of Commerce” has a Chamber of Commerce been linked to something this cool! They should call themselves The Hell’s Canyon Gang just to scare the crap out of the tourists!

USF Pulls In A Quixotic Quintet – Jed “J-Stu” Stugart, the new head football coach for the Sioux Falls Cougars, announced the latest additions to his coaching staff. Isaiah Jackson, former South Dakota State Jackrabbit, Lee Marks, former Boise State Bronco and Zach Dickson, fresh from 7 years with the Colorado Buffalo football program. Also added to J-Stu’s coaching staff were Lavell Jackson, defensive back coach and Dusty Hovorka, International Man Of Mystery!

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August 11, 2010 · 12:29 am

SXU COUGARS PICKED TO WIN “THE ASSOCIATION’S” MIDEAST LEAGUE

If you’re new to Balladeer’s Blog let me start by telling you that I refer to the Mid-States Football Association as “The Association” just like Jim Rome does with the NBA. “Reee-DIK-ulous” I know, but what can I say? 

Anyway, Saint Xavier University has been picked in the preseason MSFA poll to win the Mideast League, garnering 62 points and 6 first-place votes. In the national picture, the NAIA Football Coaches Poll was released and Saint Xavier was in the number four spot in the Top 25. Last year the Cougars had the best season in program history, going a perfect 11-0 in the regular season, winning their first MidEast League title in The Association and making it all the way to the quarter-finals in the playoffs, losing to eventual national champs the Sioux Falls Cougars. 

Recently I interviewed St Xavier Head Football Coach Mike Feminis for my tell-all book about NAIA sports titled: Why Are Half The Teams In The Top 25 Called The Cougars? (NAIA fans will get it). Eventually, after the coach told me I represented the future of blogging (Or maybe I was the one who blurted that out. It’s all lost in a bourbon haze now) the conversation eventually turned to his team’s 2010 season:

“I know we will be the team that is circled on everyone’s schedule in the MSFA (AKA The Association) and that’s fine with us” Coach Feminis said. 

I interrupted the coach with an observation that if his team ever felt the need to appeal to more female fans a good slogan would be “You can’t spell ‘feminist’ without ‘Feminis'” but he just ignored me and continued.

“I honestly believe we should be even better than last year but you don’t win a national championship on paper. The talent is definitely there and I really like what I’ve seen so far in camp…That game against Sioux Falls left a bitter taste in their mouths.”

I asked if that was a not-so-subtle jab at those so-called “Cougar Chips” that USF sells at their concession stand but he indicated that it was actually  a reference to his players’ feelings about the playoff loss. 

To take a look at the full NAIA Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 just read below:

1. Sioux Falls Cougars
2. Lindenwood Lions
3. Carroll College (MT) Fighting Saints
4. Saint Xavier Cougars
5. Morningside Mustangs
T6. MidAmerica Nazarene Pioneers
T6. Lambuth Eagles
8. McKendree Bearcats
9. Ottawa (KS) Braves
10. Missouri Valley Vikings
11. Cumberlands Patriots
12. McPherson Bulldogs
13. Hastings Broncos
14. Minot State Beavers
15. Friends Falcons
16. Walsh Cavaliers
17. Saint Francis Cougars
18. Dickinson State Blue Hawks
19. Langston Lions
20. Grand View Vikings
21. Eastern Oregon Mountaineers
22. Taylor Trojans
23. Northwestern (IA) Red Raiders
24. Baker Wildcats
25. Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers 
 
For the full text of Coach Feminis’ response to my suggestion that he change his team’s name to “The Saint Xavier Cougats” click here: http://www.sxu.edu/athletics/  

Balladeer’s Blog is not affiliated with or operated by the NAIA or the NCAA or any of their member institutions. 

© Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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August 10, 2010 · 12:16 am

THE PAAAAAARHHHK PIRATES ARE THE WINNERS!

 

All the votes are tallied, and the winners of The 20 Coolest Sports Logos contest are the Park Pirates or “P Squared” as the kids call them. These Pirates show all the other Pirate teams how it’s done with this fashionable, yet old-school logo that epitomizes the word “swashbuckler” better than Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn and Tyrone Power combined! Sail on over to their site at http://www.parkathletics.com/ 

In second place were the Southern Polytechnic Running Hornets , they of the “Green Hornetesque” logo. To get to their site just say “Let’s roll, Kato!” to http://www.spsu.edu/recreation/index.html

Those two were far ahead of the rest of the pack. The remaining schools, in descending order of their vote totals follow:

Sioux Falls Cougars
Walsh Cavaliers
Tabor Bluejays
Warner Pacific Knights
Cal Baptist Lancers
LSU Shreveport Pilots
Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders
Vanguard Lions
Spring Hill Badgers
Texas College Steers
Oklahoma Baptist Bison
Westminster Griffins
Peru State Bobcats
Northwestern Oklahoma Rangers
Wayland Baptist Pioneers/Flying Queens
Langston Lions
Saint Francis Cougars
 
It’s been another fun contest! Look for another Top 20 List soon!
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August 9, 2010 · 12:09 am

TODAY’S COOL-NAMED SPORTS TEAM – VITERBO UNIVERSITY

VITERBO V-HAWKS 

Location: La Crosse, WI

Division: NAIA

Conference Affiliation: Midwest Collegiate Conference

Major sports: basketball, baseball, soccer

Site: http://www.viterboathletics.com/index.php

Comment: In the grand tradition of the A-Team, G-Forces and the X-Men it’s the V-Hawks, a name so cool it could be a model of sports car. For some of NCAA Division 3′s Coolest-Named Teams click here: https://glitternight.com/d3-20-coolest/   

 For the NAIA edition of The 20 Coolest College Sports Teams You May Never Have Heard Of click here: https://glitternight.com/2010/06/21/the-20-coolest-named-college-sports-teams-you-may-have-never-heard-of-naia-edition/ 

And for The 20 Coolest College Sports Logos click here: https://glitternight.com/2010/07/20/the-20-coolest-college-sports-logos/

Balladeer’s Blog is not affiliated with or operated by the NAIA or the NCAA or any of their member institutions. 

© Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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August 8, 2010 · 12:04 am

MCDANIEL COLLEGE: IT’S NOT JUST FOR TRAPPIST MONKS ANYMORE!

At McDaniel College, where the sports teams are called The Green Terror (Pretty cool, eh?), both the men’s and the women’s swim teams were honored recently. The College Swimming Coaches Association of America put both teams on their 2010 All-Academic Squads. The Green Terror women had an average team GPA of 3.57 and the men’s team had an average team GPA of 3.05.   Swimmer Rachel Walega was singled out for academic accolades by the organization.

To find out how many members of the swim team have taken a vow of silence click here: http://www.mcdanielathletics.com/landing/index

Balladeer’s Blog is not affiliated with or operated by the NAIA or the NCAA or any of their member institutions. 
© Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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August 7, 2010 · 12:16 am

QUICK TAKES- GRIDIRON STYLE

St Ambrozzzzzzzzze Football Media Dayzzzzzzzz – The St Ambrose University Fighting Bees (Love that name!) announced they will be holding their football media day August 24th at SAU’s Lohman Arena. Head Coach Mike Magistrelli and several Fighting Bees football players will be available for questions.

Cumberlands Football Camp Anything But Bland – The University of the Cumberlands Patriots camp for High School football teams in Kentucky and Tennessee was held recently. Patriots Head Football Coach John Bland commented “The…Camp was a success in 2010. All of the coaches…were pleased with the progress their teams made during camp.”

You Say Cumberlands, I Say Cumberland, Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off – We move now from the University of the Cumberlands Patriots to the Cumberland University Bulldogs. The Bulldogs  football players report this weekend with meetings scheduled all day Saturday and camp beginning next week. CU starts its 2010 campaign at the Austin Peay Governors Sept 2nd.  

“Hello, I must be going!” – The South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology Hardrockers and the Black Hills State University Yellowjackets open camps this weekend for what will be their final football season in the Dakota Athletic Conference. The Yellowjackets went 6-4 last season and defeated the Dickinson State Blue Hawks, the conference champions, in The Dacotah Bowl to end the 2009 season.

Strengthen Your Corps, er, Core – Yes, that was another nod to the Marine Corps origins of the Gyrenes, the nickname of the Ave Maria University sports teams. The Gyrenes begin intercollegiate play in 2011 for football but recently held a football camp for 9 Florida High School teams. This four-day camp, whose theme was “Strengthen Your Core”, was held in partnership with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

“I Guess Everyone Loves Cougars” Dept – The Sioux Falls Cougars were picked to win the Great Plains Athletic Conference title yet again by the coaches and SID’s in that league, it was revealed at last week’s GPAC Media Day. The defending national champions in the NAIA were also ranked number one in various national preseason polls as well. Will it be a threepeat for USF football this season? Cougar lovers everywhere will be watching to find out! 

Get Your Grub On With The Rangers – The Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers have been picked to win the Central States Football League title this year by the coaches, SID’s and select media members. They’ve also got their football Media Day coming up August 14th and the First Annual Ranger Kickoff Barbecue set for August 21st.

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August 6, 2010 · 6:09 pm

BALLADEER’S BLOG IS EXPANDING ITS SCOPE

The reaction of the NCAA Division 3 schools’ administration and students to my D3 Edition of the 20 Coolest Named Sports Teams has been so overwhelming  I will now be covering Division 3 sports in addition to NAIA sports. I can be reached about stories in these sports at Thtcom15@aol.com . For links to my various Top 20 Lists click below:

For more of Division 3′s Coolest-Named Teams click here: https://glitternight.com/d3-20-coolest/  

For the NAIA edition of The 20 Coolest College Sports Teams You May Never Have Heard Of click here: https://glitternight.com/2010/06/21/the-20-coolest-named-college-sports-teams-you-may-have-never-heard-of-naia-edition/ 

And for The 20 Coolest College Sports Logos click here: https://glitternight.com/2010/07/20/the-20-coolest-college-sports-logos/

Balladeer’s Blog is not affiliated with or operated by the NAIA or the NCAA or any of their member institutions. 
© Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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August 6, 2010 · 2:03 pm

HAPPY FRONTIERADO!

Well, you wait for it for months and now it’s finally here! Happy Frontierado to everyone. I know there are people who watch Silverado (the official Western of Frontierado) on Frontierado Eve and others who watch it the night of Frontierado itself. It’s this holiday‘s version of the Yuletide question “Do you open your gifts Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning?”

As a Frontierado gift to my readers here is my personal recipe for Tumbleweed Pizza, the perfect snack to go with Silverado and whatever second Western you watch.

Start with a few extra-large tortilla shells or round pita shells. Spread tomato paste and/or sauce around them, leaving as much crust room as you prefer. Spread shredded pepperjack cheese all over each shell until you completely cover the tomato paste/sauce. Add small slices of Nopolito Cactus (it will taste a lot like green peppers), red beans and bits of buffalo meat, or antelope, or rattlesnake or all three. Have the oven preheated to 350 degrees. Place each shell in the oven for approximately 15 minutes, or 20 minutes if you’re doing two shells at once. Then eat just like you would a regular pizza. For extra zesty Tumbleweed Pizza you can mix Salsa Sauce or Chipotle Sauce in with the tomato paste/sauce as well as adding Jalapeno Peppers if you like

Balladeer’s Blog is not affiliated with or operated by the NAIA or the NCAA or any of their member institutions. 
© Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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August 5, 2010 · 9:19 pm

TODAY’S COOL-NAMED SPORTS TEAM: FRANKLIN AND MARSHALL

FRANKLIN AND MARSHALL DIPLOMATS

 

Location: Lancaster, PA

Division: NCAA Division 3

Conference Affiliation: Centennial Conference

Major sports: football, basketball, baseball, soccer

Site: http://www.godiplomats.com/landing/index

Comment: The Diplomats (“Oh, that word”…Fans of the musical 1776 will get it.) is a pretty cool nickname for sports teams. I guess the only real downside would be people calling them “The Dips” for short. By the way, from now on I’ll be judging U.S. State Department Diplomats by whether or not they “give 110 percent” and if they “came to play”, just like I judge Franklin and Marshall Diplomats.

For more of Division 3’s Coolest-Named Teams click here: https://glitternight.com/d3-20-coolest/  

For the NAIA edition of The 20 Coolest College Sports Teams You May Never Have Heard Of click here: https://glitternight.com/2010/06/21/the-20-coolest-named-college-sports-teams-you-may-have-never-heard-of-naia-edition/ 

And for The 20 Coolest College Sports Logos click here: https://glitternight.com/2010/07/20/the-20-coolest-college-sports-logos/

Balladeer’s Blog is not affiliated with or operated by the NAIA or the NCAA or any member institutions. 
© Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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