Pretty cool

Quote:One of the most successful coaches in Ball State football history is doing his part to help the Cardinals win a Mid-American Conference West division title.

Brady Hoke, currently the head coach at Michigan of the Big Ten, was asked – and agreed – by Ball State alum Jason Whitlock to help fund a bus trip for Ball State students to next week’s key game at Northern Illinois.

Whitlock, a former Ball State football player and currently a sportswriter for ESPN, reached out to Ball State officials last week asking how he could help fund a trip for students to next week’s game, which will be the biggest regular-season game of the season in the MAC, pitting 10-0 Northern Illinois against the 9-1 Cardinals. Whitlock agreed to donate $5,000, which will pay for most of the trip for 100 students, including the game ticket, the bus ride and two meals.

http://www.thestarpress.com/article/2013...n-football

I hope they have the cash in hand already!

Hoke can fix Michigan

Quote:He's five-star struck. On the recruiting trail, he has sacrificed character, grit and maturity for ratings stars. His top recruit in 2013, freshman running back Derrick Green, reported to camp 20 pounds overweight. Green is soft. On Saturday, the 245-pounder dove at the ankles of a blitzing linebacker and whiffed. Green barely plays.

Freshman QB Shane Morris started out as a five-star recruit, backed up to four-star, and is now viewed as a guy who is a bit quirky and immature.

In 2012, Michigan fans were giddy when five-star lineman Kyle Kalis, a native of Ohio, decommitted from Ohio State, chose Michigan, and told Ohio State fans to come see him if they had a problem. As a redshirt freshman this season, Kalis cracked the starting lineup and has been subsequently benched. Another high-profile lineman, David Dawson, violated Hoke's no-visits policy by taking a trip to Florida after verbally committing to Michigan. Hoke backed down and let Dawson recommit to Michigan.

That's not Brady Hoke. He's winning recruiting wars and losing the atmosphere, chemistry and environment that allow his staff to efficiently develop skill, toughness, purpose and unshakable resolve to properly represent Michigan.

I see a team that looks more like Taylor Lewan than Brady Hoke. Lewan is the Jadeveon Clowney of the Big Ten, the pampered superstar who's doing his school a favor by suiting up this season.

We are 10-0 already? Ok, I will take the extra win.

Great gesture, odd that a Head Coach at a different school would be able to kick regardless go his history there.

(11-07-2013 04:57 PM)NIUSox10 Wrote:  We are 10-0 already? Ok, I will take the extra win.

They've already counted the finale against the "boat rowers" in the W column. Little chance that they will have to erase that and fix it.

(11-07-2013 06:08 PM)MileHighBronco Wrote:  

(11-07-2013 04:57 PM)NIUSox10 Wrote:  We are 10-0 already? Ok, I will take the extra win.

They've already counted the finale against the "boat rowers" in the W column. Little chance that they will have to erase that and fix it.

I figured they were banking on us beating Ball State.

Now they cursed us..AHHH!

This is awesome. This very well could be the most visiting fans from another MAC team ever brought to Huskie Stadium.

I assume all these students don't have classes Wednesday though? Those buses likely have to leave by noon or 1 pm at the latest. They are going to hit Chicago rush hour on the way over.

Hoke and Whitlock have each given $5,000 to fund the trip for 200 students. The athletic department had already announced plans to bus 44 students, so there will be at least 240 chirping Ball State students at the game Wednesday. It should help provide a great atmosphere for the long-awaited MAC game of the game. The Cardinal Varsity Club, a fund-raising organization for Ball State athletics, is also sponsoring a bus trip for other Ball State fans to attend the game.

Bronze Stalk !!


.

This risks creating more fans that actually think the MAC is capable of bigger things. Not sure a couple programs in the MAC cam afford to let that happen.

(11-08-2013 08:57 AM)The Optimist Wrote:  This risks creating more fans that actually think the MAC is capable of bigger things. Not sure a couple programs in the MAC cam afford to let that happen.

Do you have to ruin every thread?

Very cool stuff. Hoke was always a great interview and accommodating when he was head coach at Ball State and Whitlock, in spite of his detractors, always made time for us on the old MAC Report radio show.

(11-08-2013 08:57 AM)The Optimist Wrote:  This risks creating more fans that actually think the MAC is capable of bigger things. Not sure a couple programs in the MAC cam afford to let that happen.

(rolls eyes)

(11-08-2013 09:48 AM)HuronDave Wrote:  

(11-08-2013 08:57 AM)The Optimist Wrote:  This risks creating more fans that actually think the MAC is capable of bigger things. Not sure a couple programs in the MAC cam afford to let that happen.

Do you have to ruin every thread?

Your words, not mine....

"The fact is the university presidents within the MAC have no desire to up the ante on athletics and become part of the power cabal that exists. It's just fact"

The action being taken here at Ball State is great. This is the kind of thing that needs to happen more often. Unfortunately, the MAC has no desire to improve. It's just fact.

(11-08-2013 10:25 AM)The Optimist Wrote:  

(11-08-2013 09:48 AM)HuronDave Wrote:  

(11-08-2013 08:57 AM)The Optimist Wrote:  This risks creating more fans that actually think the MAC is capable of bigger things. Not sure a couple programs in the MAC cam afford to let that happen.

Do you have to ruin every thread?

Your words, not mine....

"The fact is the university presidents within the MAC have no desire to up the ante on athletics and become part of the power cabal that exists. It's just fact"

The action being taken here at Ball State is great. This is the kind of thing that needs to happen more often. Unfortunately, the MAC has no desire to improve. It's just fact.

Hey now dont be making generalizations...

-NIU built 2 new sports facilities in the last 5 years
-We hold 2 of the longest winning streaks in the country (Home wins, conference wins) all accomplished with 3 different head coaches.
-5 Bowl appearances in a row, recently being BCS, winning 2 of the last 3.
-New AD who is extremely passionate about home attendence, and it will likely show results over the next few seasons even without the undefeated status.
-MAC has just signed into 5 bowl tie-ins
-MAC is Re-negotiating our ESPN deal for the next 3 years to up our pay-out per school.

While I agree with you, the bottom is dragging their feet in some areas, but not all of us. If the top 7 MAC programs who want to improve continue to make improvements.... O well it will just separate the have's from the have-nots.

Now to turn our attention to making basketball improvements....

(11-08-2013 10:37 AM)NIUSox10 Wrote:  

(11-08-2013 10:25 AM)The Optimist Wrote:  

(11-08-2013 09:48 AM)HuronDave Wrote:  

(11-08-2013 08:57 AM)The Optimist Wrote:  This risks creating more fans that actually think the MAC is capable of bigger things. Not sure a couple programs in the MAC cam afford to let that happen.

Do you have to ruin every thread?

Your words, not mine....

"The fact is the university presidents within the MAC have no desire to up the ante on athletics and become part of the power cabal that exists. It's just fact"

The action being taken here at Ball State is great. This is the kind of thing that needs to happen more often. Unfortunately, the MAC has no desire to improve. It's just fact.

Hey now dont be making generalizations...

-NIU built 2 new sports facilities in the last 5 years
-We hold 2 of the longest winning streaks in the country (Home wins, conference wins) all accomplished with 3 different head coaches.
-5 Bowl appearances in a row, recently being BCS, winning 2 of the last 3.
-New AD who is extremely passionate about home attendence, and it will likely show results over the next few seasons even without the undefeated status.
-MAC has just signed into 5 bowl tie-ins
-MAC is Re-negotiating our ESPN deal for the next 3 years to up our pay-out per school.

While I agree with you, the bottom is dragging their feet in some areas, but not all of us. If the top 7 MAC programs who want to improve continue to make improvements.... O well it will just separate the have's from the have-nots.

Now to turn our attention to making basketball improvements....

I agree completely. I think there are a number of schools actively striving for improvement.

Some on this board would have you believe there is unanimous agreement among conference leaders that the MAC has no potential to ever get better so we should all just accept it.

(11-08-2013 11:17 AM)The Optimist Wrote:  

(11-08-2013 10:37 AM)NIUSox10 Wrote:  

(11-08-2013 10:25 AM)The Optimist Wrote:  

(11-08-2013 09:48 AM)HuronDave Wrote:  

(11-08-2013 08:57 AM)The Optimist Wrote:  This risks creating more fans that actually think the MAC is capable of bigger things. Not sure a couple programs in the MAC cam afford to let that happen.

Do you have to ruin every thread?

Your words, not mine....

"The fact is the university presidents within the MAC have no desire to up the ante on athletics and become part of the power cabal that exists. It's just fact"

The action being taken here at Ball State is great. This is the kind of thing that needs to happen more often. Unfortunately, the MAC has no desire to improve. It's just fact.

Hey now dont be making generalizations...

-NIU built 2 new sports facilities in the last 5 years
-We hold 2 of the longest winning streaks in the country (Home wins, conference wins) all accomplished with 3 different head coaches.
-5 Bowl appearances in a row, recently being BCS, winning 2 of the last 3.
-New AD who is extremely passionate about home attendence, and it will likely show results over the next few seasons even without the undefeated status.
-MAC has just signed into 5 bowl tie-ins
-MAC is Re-negotiating our ESPN deal for the next 3 years to up our pay-out per school.

While I agree with you, the bottom is dragging their feet in some areas, but not all of us. If the top 7 MAC programs who want to improve continue to make improvements.... O well it will just separate the have's from the have-nots.

Now to turn our attention to making basketball improvements....

I agree completely. I think there are a number of schools actively striving for improvement.

Some on this board would have you believe there is unanimous agreement among conference leaders that the MAC has no potential to ever get better so we should all just accept it.

On top of this recent success, Illinois and Northwestern will have to win 3 and 2 more games respectively out of their remaining 4 to be bowl eligible (both currently winless in the BIG10).

The media will love it if NIU goes to another BCS bowl game while the 2 BIG10 schools in the state sit at home to watch. Will be a PR disaster for our fellow FBS in-state schools.

Good Luck Ball State, we will be waiting for you in DeKalb.