Congratulations Johnnies!

[ERfisherguy]

I know this is a fishing forum, but I just wanted to let anyone who was on the ice without a radio know that St. John's "upset" mighty Mount Union 24-6 to win the Division III football national championship. They also ended Mount Union's NCAA record 55 consecutive win streak. Congrats on a great season Johnnies!

[walleyedr2]

one great team and coach

[wx_dave]

A great coach, still only Division III though, so I can't get into it. It's only a wee bit better than high school football after all... Sorry...

[ERfisherguy]

Did you play football man? I disagree that they are hardly better than high school. Unless you think you can run as fast as those receivers or hit as hard as those linebackers at St. John's, I wouldn't be so quick to put them down. They might not have the same raw potential as those Big 10 players, but they play for the love of the game. Randy Moss could learn a few things from Blake Elliot. Besides, it really doesn't matter what you think of them, they are national champions. Where is your ring man?

[alwaysfishin]

can't say it better than that. all of them are non-scholly players. doing it cause they love the game. even if they aren't d-1 they put in just as much time. nevermind most d-1 and d-2 schools have been done for a few weeks, so they put more time in. how many MN schools win nat. championships? way to go johnnies and coach g., with more to come.

[alwaysfishin]

there are only seven football teams in america that can say they won a national championship after their season is over, out of how many?

[ducksnbucks]

I agree, I have three friends on the team, and lots that go to the school, they really worked for that title and they deserve it both for the team and for the coach.

[wx_dave]

I knew that would get everyone riled! I'm not trying to diminish what they did at all... they are truly the best at DIII. But it is DIII, as for only 7 national champions, that's true. But there are over 200 DI schools, every single one of which would beat St. Johns 99/100 times. And I really do think that several of the the Twin Cities high school teams would regularly beat them. Ever seen Eden Prairie High School? They are like a small college program. (Which, on a totally different arguement, is ridiculous.) As for playing for love of the game, that's true too, I agree 100%, and they should be proud of what they have done. BUT, they are playing for the love because most of them weren't good enough to get a scholarship any where else (for football, they'd all probably would be the smartest guys on any DI team, again another story, and Keating at least left a DI scholorship in Basketball) As a STC area transplant, I can't understand it. I have had several people tell me this year how ST. Johns could beat the U, and thats way out there. You can't even make comparisons.

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Do you like to Gamble, Eddie? Gamble money on pool games?

[Ishmel]

As a St. John's alum and frequent football spectator there I just have to say that I don't think there's much chance that a high school team would beat St. John's. Mount Union would be a D2 school in any state that had a D2 program and their record in D3 suggests that they could play at a D1 level. (As a matter of fact, several of their players were drafted by the buckeyes.) And St. John's manhandled them. I understand if you're not interested in D3 football, but if you think it's only a little better than high school, you should go see a game or two.

[merc]

Eden Prairie could beat St Johns??? Eden Prairie didn't even make it to the championship high school game this year!!!

[ATM]

WX_dave, I hope in the future your posts about fishing are more knowledgeable about fishing then they are about football, because you obviously have no clue about football. This st. johns team could beat just about any of the d2 teams in the state and many of the kids on these d3 teams are former all-state, all- conference etc. high school players, many of which were offered scholarships eleswhere but went to st. johns for the quality of the school. Adam

[alwaysfishin]

ok dave just to let you know i played for the gophs from '92-96, now i live in eden prarie. if i didn't get a scholly there i was going to go to st. johns, i'm a wisconsin native, and wisco is home of some good dIII but we do not have dII so i was gonna go to wisc., U of MN or go dIII, st. johns has great education possibilities, i would agree that st. johns couldn't beat U of MN, but that is not fair, st. johns recruits mostly people from the area and a few people from other places, U of MN recruits the whole USA so to compare the two is rediculous, plus most of my team mates wouldn't have gone to college without a full ride and football is all they are there for, at st. john you go their for school and if you dont get it done in the class room you're through with football. they'll cut you. does eden prarie have 22 all-staters on the field?, didn't think so. some of their player are great and some couldn't play college ball, st. johns players weren't all great in high school but as a team they put together a complete package, and their is no way a high school team could beat them, the speed of the game is too fast and high schoolers aren't conditioned enough as a team or diciplined enough to keep up, have you ever heard of DeLaSalle Califoria high school that's one high school team that could regularly compete with poor, poor college teams, not st. johns. trust me i know football, and i don't think very many people would disagree with me on this one. lets end the non-sense and get back on the ice where we can all be experts( well we try anyways!!).

[alwaysfishin]

one more thing, after watching that game on tv, everyone of the starters could have easily played at a scholarship school, but chose st. johns because they WANTED to go there, i know some of them could have walked on or been given schollys anywhere because they display HEART and desire on every play, the two things anyone can control, athletic ability i believe is god-given, you have it or you don't, heart and desire alone will let you stick around at any program, and coach g. is a good coach because he knows how to bring that out in his players, thats why he wins. im done now, thanks for reading

[merc]

Alwaysfishin, well said!!!

[wx_dave]

Okay, everybody, move on. Can we agree to disagree? You will never convince me that there have been more then 10 kids at St. Johns that could play at the U. EVER. I will never convince you that St. Johns isn't the greatest team in the history of sport, and that DIII just isn't that great. They are the best at D3, so we can all agree there. They are great to have in the community. another agreement. I absolutely think the coach is some sort of football savant, so I guess we can all agree there, too. He wins and wins without be able to recruit anybody. Thats amazing. I heard someone call this question in to Sid on WCCO, who said that the gophers would score 100 points in the first half against St. Johns. His words, not mine. That is a man who has covered sports at all levels for almost 60 years. He pointed out that the kids weren't good enough for scholarships at the U, just like I have, and ya know what happened, the caller went off the deep end too. But here is a secret I'll let you in on: I love to rile up St. Johns fans. Just like Packers fans ( not this week for the packers fans though!) It's like a hobby. I saw a St. Johns post in here and joined specifically to needle. I couldn't resist the opportunity. You all continue to love em. God bless ya, and them. continue to think of them as "intermural". If ya here someone on the lake making fun of them, maybe it's me. We can peacefully coexist. Now go fishing....

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Do you like to Gamble, Eddie? Gamble money on pool games?

[ERfisherguy]

It's funny that you get back on to tell everyone to let it go when it's been nearly a week since anyone said anything. I guess you just like to stir things up for your enjoyment, I don't know. You obviously have lost sight of what this discussion is about. Nobody is arguing that the Johnnies could beat the Gophers. It is common knowledge that DI is above DIII. What we all have a problem with is that your judgement of talent is so terrible that you actually think that St. John's is hardly more than a good high school team (read your first post). So until you learn a little about football and come up with a legitimate argument, I'm not going to validate your future posts with a response. And by the way, this post was meant as a positive acknowledgement for St. John's fans. If you don't have anything positive to add, just keep your mouth shut.

[only-eyes]

this is a fishing forum, not football,nice jesture, but obviously not a good idea, get on the lake and fish

[IFallsRon]

There probably hasn't even been 10 players in all of the MIAC who could play DI football. Ever been to a DIII hockey game? Rosters are full of stickboys. If they had any talent at all they'd be anywhere else.

[wx_dave]

Thank you Ron. Now, before I say this, I am not being smart, or trying to rile anyone up...but I didn't even know that there was DIII hockey. I'm surprised that there are enough schools with hockey programs to fill three divisions. It's a tough sport to field, unless you play outside. Or do they?

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Do you like to Gamble, Eddie? Gamble money on pool games?

[cloudfisher]

I like the reference to Sid. He must be a close personal friend of yours. I take everything he has to say and write it down on my roll paper in the bathroom.

[Borch]

Sorry guys by this thread has outlived it's usefulness. Last several post have been nothing more than personal shots.