(06-30-2014 10:12 AM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear Slinkin Street Flash,
Thank you for correcting my mis-statement of player of the year, to defensive player of the year. It's just too bad that TARDledo could not stay on task with the major point of my statement, like you did. Which was about defensive player of the year.

So you didn't mention the defensive poty, but TARDledo is at fault for not staying on task?



Grow up.

(06-30-2014 12:55 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 10:12 AM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear Slinkin Street Flash,
Thank you for correcting my mis-statement of player of the year, to defensive player of the year. It's just too bad that TARDledo could not stay on task with the major point of my statement, like you did. Which was about defensive player of the year.

So you didn't mention the defensive poty, but TARDledo is at fault for not staying on task?



Grow up.

Not to mention that this thread is suppose to be about MAC preseason football polls/projections and not about deep-seated, unhealed psychological scars.

Original Post:

(04-23-2014 10:06 AM)KSU 93 Wrote:  Has anyone seen a MAC preseason football poll? Just curious as to who will be strong in the MAC this year.

Dear Dr. Torch,
Did you read any of the arguments about Bob Navarro? Did you pay any attention to the fact of which I said repeatedly that it was a rhetorical question? That I was not looking for anyone that had more than six interceptions. That I was corrected from player of the year to defensive player of the year. You have the same reading problem of TARDledo. You really need to see a reading specialist.
Like I said before there are some on this board whose only purpose is to nit-pick anyone's comments to prove somehow that they are superior to everyone else. To use your words - Grow up.

(06-30-2014 02:17 PM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear Dr. Torch,
Did you read any of the arguments about Bob Navarro? Did you pay any attention to the fact of which I said repeatedly that it was a rhetorical question?

Yes, your tiresome posts were nigh impossible to ignore.

You asked a question, and got owned with the answer. Then you claimed you really didn't want that answer, but rather were focused on a different topic, one that you actually hadn't mentioned.

An adult would have owned his mistakes and moved on.

Quote:Like I said before there are some on this board whose only purpose is to nit-pick anyone's comments to prove somehow that they are superior to everyone else.

So far, that looks exactly like what you've been doing.

Dear Dr. Torch,
Again, you post such drivel. The topic was Bob Navarro should have been given The MAC player of the year award. I was told that there was no such category, that it was defensive player of the year. Okay, I stood corrected, and was given some information as to why he was probably overlooked. You and others keep focus on what was meant to be a rhetorical question, which I also stated. You and others remain fixated on some need to be correct about a rhetorical question.
An adult would have said something to the effect, when Bob Navarro's accomplishment was mentioned; "Now that is an accomplishment, a record soon not to be broken". Or; "I didn't know someone had that kind of record for one season".
Being such adults here, we chose to argue and ignore, even though you have been told many times that the center of my original statement was about Bob Navarro's accomplishment, not whether some other player had six interceptions. That was only mentioned rhetorically, because if a defensive back gets six interceptions in a season today, that is considered a very important accomplishment. In case you are still in the dark, Bob had twelve interceptions in one season.

Never has so much been said by so many about so little.

(06-30-2014 03:09 PM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear Dr. Torch,
Again, you post such drivel. The topic was Bob Navarro should have been given The MAC player of the year award. I was told that there was no such category, that it was defensive player of the year. Okay, I stood corrected, and was given some information as to why he was probably overlooked. You and others keep focus on what was meant to be a rhetorical question, which I also stated. You and others remain fixated on some need to be correct about a rhetorical question.
An adult would have said something to the effect, when Bob Navarro's accomplishment was mentioned; "Now that is an accomplishment, a record soon not to be broken". Or; "I didn't know someone had that kind of record for one season".
Being such adults here, we chose to argue and ignore, even though you have been told many times that the center of my original statement was about Bob Navarro's accomplishment, not whether some other player had six interceptions. That was only mentioned rhetorically, because if a defensive back gets six interceptions in a season today, that is considered a very important accomplishment. In case you are still in the dark, Bob had twelve interceptions in one season.

In any case, thank you for not quoting his posts.

(06-30-2014 03:39 PM)axeme Wrote:  Never has so much been said by so many about so little.

Dear nbcards,
You are only telling part of the story. I was checking your website to see the reaction to Eastern's new field color. As usual, the trashing of my alma mater began with we always lose to Northern Illinois, we should be FCS, why should we worry about television. etc. So, I decided to defend my school. I would hardly call it starting arguments. Some of your posters were giving incorrect facts about Eastern, and I was correcting them. You lent nothing to the conversation of any value, so maybe you were just upset at the fact that much of the information your fellow Huskies were giving was just wrong. I would guess nbcards, not much of an adult.

(06-30-2014 09:26 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  

(06-28-2014 05:29 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  Tier 6
EMU
Miami
UMass

We'll not finish in the last tier this year.

Yes you will.

How are you going to back up your statement. On the past, which is based on a career assistant coached that failed miserable at attempting to be an FBS head coach and was fired.

Having an FBS caliber Head Coach and quarterback alone will make a huge difference. Agree the offensive and defensive lines are weak and hope they develop, but still enough to be in tier 5 and not 6th. We added speed as well. It should be a better year for us and be more competitive.

I've posted the links but will quote them, since either you either did not read them or heavily discounted them.

Quote:UMass fans learned an important lesson about their program during the past two years: The no-huddle spread offense doesn't comfortably fit.

Sure, there were talent and coaching issues, but it also seemed like the offense didn't suit the institution's character. Like Army playing out of the shotgun or Oregon sitting in the I formation, something just didn't feel right.

New head coach Mark Whipple is going to bring the team back under center and implement a pro-style attack that served the program well during its glory years. Will that equal more than 11 or 12 points on the board per game? Maybe, but there is certainly a lot of work to be done before the Minutemen face off against Boston College on Aug. 30.

The most important step will be picking a signal caller. Things haven't been completely settled under center since Kyle Havens' quietly excellent two-year stint. Kellen Pagel's career ended early, Mike Wegzyn started, sat and transferred, and junior A.J. Doyle hasn't been consistent. Many hope Marshall transfer Blake Frohnapfel will come in and take the reigns.

The sample size is small - he finished his Marshall career going 35-of-45 for 386 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions – but the Thundering Herd faithful speak highly of their former backup. The Doyle/Frohnapfel quarterback duel will the the story of camp, and both have been through this battle before.

Running back is another place where the starting gig is up for grabs. Jordan Broadnax, who was slated to start last year, is back after a suffering a season-ending injury during camp. He's a shifty back with the ability to make catches out of the backfield. If he's close to normal, Broadnax will find his way onto the field. The big question is whether he's a load-bearing back or a change-of-pace option.

Sophomore Lorenzo Woodley is an on-paper favorite, but he too dealt with injury issues last year. When healthy, Woodley showed glimpses of what UMass fans were hoping for when the top-rated recruit from the 2013 cycle signed on. People want to know if his 163 yards against Northern Illinois was a flash of greatness or a preview of what's to come. Newbie J.T. Blyden joined the program in 2014 with less fanfare but a comparable rating from recruiting services. He's a quality Pennsylvania back, and could make some noise early.

Jamal Wilson is a sturdy, reliable back and has no problem taking the lion's share of carries if he needs to. He's not flashy, but he gets the job done. If nothing else, Wilson deserves a lot of respect for his performance last year, and that should translate into carries this season. The same goes for Shadrach Abrokwah, who unselfishly burned his red shirt to log emergency duty last year.

The wild card is Drew Harris, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound back who was at one time a four-star recruit out of Pennsylvania. Harris was one of the last two signees from the 2014 class. It's unclear if Harris can play right away, but if he can, there's zero doubt that the ball will come his way.

Harris is a game changer. Let's see where he stands in late August.

Daquan Mack could factor in as a fullback. Matt Tuleja has the size (6-foot-2, 240 pounds), but UMass fans haven't yet seen what the Xaverian product can do.

The offensive line will be inexperienced, and center Matt Sparks and newly minted left tackle Tyrell Smith will have to lead this group. JUCO signees Liam Porter (Dean College) and Ryan Johnson (Garden City C.C.) bring some extra size and experience and could fill in at guard or tackle. Fabian Hoeller is the group's Swiss Army knife, and can jump in where needed. Guys like Josh Bruns, Tyshon Henderson and Cameron Mock all possess incredible size and will be called upon to step up.

The wide receiver position has been a major disappointment during the past two years, but things seem to be turning around. Tajae Sharpe is the top returning offensive threat and will lead the receiving corps as a junior. Sharpe will be a major cog in UMass' offense and should have a decent support cast.

JUCO arrival Jalen Williams looks poised to start from day one and shows shades of Deion Walker (UMass' leading receiver in 2012) in his game. Joining him is Alex Kenney, a Penn State transfer who is likely the fastest player on the team – and possibly the Mid-American Conference. Kenney has said he wants to be an outside threat, but he's also has slot potential.

Marken Michel and Shakur Nesmith will also be asked to contribute, and it shouldn't surprise anyone if the Nesmith (a long 6-foot-4) gets targeted in the red zone. Iric Harris and Elgin Long logged some miles last year, and it will be interesting to see where they factor in.

The tight end position went from scary to interesting. Rob Blanchflower, a program all-timer, left a massive leadership and talent vacuum at the position. Whipple went out and grabbed Jean Sifrin, a 6-foot-7, 250-pound JUCO prospect who might be the biggest name in UMass' 2014 class. He also added Jon Denton, a 6-foot-6, 260-pound in-line tight end who also came from the junior college ranks. Both will likely be in line to start right away, with Brandon Howard working in as well.

Quote:UMass for years prided itself on being a defensive-minded program. With hard-nosed linebackers and grinding defensive lines, the Minutemen were typically able to keep FCS opponents at arm’s length.

All of that changed when the program upgraded to the FBS level, and while the team’s secondary remained solid and quality recruits filled out other spots, the defensive unit was on the field for too long and was frequently ground down by opponents with more size, speed and talent.

Tom Masella, UMass’ new defensive coordinator, will be charged with turning things around. He will bring his version of the 3-4 defense to Amherst and hope head coach Mark Whipple’s pro style offense will give his guys some time to breathe. If healthy, the Minutemen bring back more depth than they’ve had in the past two years, but things need to quickly click under the new leadership.

Randall Jette, a Martha’s Vineyard product, will be charged with running the secondary. The redshirt junior caught the national media’s attention and has been honored as a preseason All-MAC performer by multiple publications. Trey Dudley-Giles, perhaps the team’s most explosive athlete, should hold down the other corner position. At safety, guys like Joey Colton and Khary Bailey-Smith should continue to improve and produce. While both have shown the ability to make plays, there’s little doubt the Minutemen will miss the services of Devin Brown, who came into his own last year.

There should also be some other faces in the mix. The always-energetic D'Metrius Williams has stepped in on numerous occasions, and if the junior can be consistent, he should be an everyday player. Guys like Jaurice Jones and Jackson Porter could also be asked to answer the bell. The Minutemen will have some new faces in the mix, as 2014 recruits like Charan Singh and Bay State heat-seeker Jarell Addo will try to make an early impression.

The defensive line could be a work in progress, but Whipple loaded up with some fresh faces at defensive end. Daniel Maynes, a blue-collar kid who plays well above his 6-foot-2, 285-pound frame, will be charged with leading this unit at nosetackle. Maynes has come a long way, but if Masella needs a little more size upfront, he can turn to Elijah Wilkinson, a hulking 330-pound tackle who now has a year of college conditioning under his belt. Robert Kitching and Al Leneus also bring some decent size to the table and will look to push for playing time.

UMass fans are going to miss guys like, Brandon Potvin, Galen Clemons, Justin Anderson and Kevin Byrne. Those guys took the brunt of the beating in UMass' upgrade, but they played tough throughout the marathon.

The 2014 recruiting class was packed with defensive line prospects. Chris Carter, Josh Smiley, Jack Wynne and Jake Largay will be fun to watch develop. The same goes for Joe Tyo, a redshirt freshman walk-on from Dennis-Yarmouth High School who stood out as a raw athlete last year.

Lukas Kolter, a 6-foot-3, 300-pound German product, was a late addition to the 2014 class and is slated to play defensive tackle. There isn’t much out there about the big German, so UMass fans will be anxiously waiting to see what he adds to the mix.

MAC offensive coordinators will have their eye on sophomore defensive end Peter Angeh. A highly underrated recruit, Angeh proved to be a tough competitor during his first year and should compete for a starting gig on the edge. Da'Sean Downey, a freshman, turned a few heads during the spring game and will try to ride that momentum into camp. Trey Seals should also be pushing for playing time.

Those who follow UMass recruiting will also be looking for Sha-Ki Holines, a local product who committed to the Minutemen, decommitted in favor or UConn and then eventually left the Huskies for Amherst.

While there's been a lot of movement, defensive line coach Dave Sollazzo always has his guys prepared with his special brand of tough love.

After the 2014 recruiting cycle, it looked like UMass’ linebackers would be set for the future. However, injuries to Steven Casali and Shane Huber took some shine off the new class. Casali’s should be back in action, and Huber is recovering from a knee injury. If healthy, both athletes are forces to be reckoned with.

Stanley Andre, who was given an extra year of eligibility, will lead this group. He is a ferocious competitor and led the team with 111 tackles last year. Guys like Jovan Santos-Knox and John Robinson-Woodgett should also see a lot of snaps. Junior Kassan Messiah could - and should - be the X-factor here. After a stunning freshman campaign, the New Jersey product suffered through a tough sophomore slump.

He has the look and ability to make things happen. Like the rest of UMass’ defense, it’s a matter of whether he can bounce back.

(06-30-2014 09:35 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 09:26 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  

(06-28-2014 05:29 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  Tier 6
EMU
Miami
UMass

We'll not finish in the last tier this year.

Yes you will.

How are you going to back up your statement. On the past, which is based on a career assistant coached that failed miserable at attempting to be an FBS head coach and was fired.

Having an FBS caliber Head Coach and quarterback alone will make a huge difference. Agree the offensive and defensive lines are weak and hope they develop, but still enough to be in tier 5 and not 6th. We added speed as well. It should be a better year for us and be more competitive.

No offense to the man, he has a terrific head coaching record, but it is all at the Division II and FCS level. He may turn out to be a good coach at the FBS level but he is an unproven entity at the FBS level as is the transfer quarterback.

The QB has decent numbers (386 total passing yards in his career; MAC QB's have thrown for more than that in a game) in the extremely limited garbage time he has played but is unproven as a starter and couldn't even win the starting job on a CUSA team that lost to Ohio's sorry team.

(06-30-2014 11:07 PM)TARDledo Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 09:35 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 09:26 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  

(06-28-2014 05:29 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  Tier 6
EMU
Miami
UMass

We'll not finish in the last tier this year.

Yes you will.

How are you going to back up your statement. On the past, which is based on a career assistant coached that failed miserable at attempting to be an FBS head coach and was fired.

Having an FBS caliber Head Coach and quarterback alone will make a huge difference. Agree the offensive and defensive lines are weak and hope they develop, but still enough to be in tier 5 and not 6th. We added speed as well. It should be a better year for us and be more competitive.

No offense to the man, he has a terrific head coaching record, but it is all at the Division II and FCS level. He may turn out to be a good coach at the FBS level but he is an unproven entity at the FBS level as is the transfer quarterback.

The QB has decent numbers (386 total passing yards in his career; MAC QB's have thrown for more than that in a game) in the extremely limited garbage time he has played but is unproven as a starter and couldn't even win the starting job on a CUSA team that lost to Ohio's sorry team.

you're trying too hard. Marshall's QB was #1 in the nation in passing yards and was conference MVP as a sophomore, last year was a "down" year for him and he still managed 3,900yds, 39TDs and 9INTs while winning 10 games and a bowl vs a P5 program. To say that his backup "couldn't even win the starting job.." against that kind of competition is just a ridiculous statement. And your butt-hurt over all things Ohio makes me giddy like a school girl.

the truth is UMass lucked out and got a good QB that would probably get the start for several MAC teams.

(06-30-2014 09:35 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 09:26 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  

(06-28-2014 05:29 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  Tier 6
EMU
Miami
UMass

We'll not finish in the last tier this year.

Yes you will.

How are you going to back up your statement. On the past, which is based on a career assistant coached that failed miserable at attempting to be an FBS head coach and was fired.

Having an FBS caliber Head Coach and quarterback alone will make a huge difference. Agree the offensive and defensive lines are weak and hope they develop, but still enough to be in tier 5 and not 6th. We added speed as well. It should be a better year for us and be more competitive.

I back up my statement w/ these thoughts:

It still takes time for a new coach to succeed

A new QB helps, but he needs a line to protect him.

UMass recruits in an area w/ negligible talent.

Additionally, UMass was terrible and that makes it even harder to recruit.

You have holes all over the place that you are simply hoping got filled.

On the flip side, there is just as much evidence that Miami and EMU will improve as much or more than UMass. Akron is climbing.

(07-01-2014 12:35 AM)perimeterpost Wrote:  you're trying too hard. Marshall's QB was #1 in the nation in passing yards and was conference MVP as a sophomore, last year was a "down" year for him and he still managed 3,900yds, 39TDs and 9INTs while winning 10 games and a bowl vs a P5 program. To say that his backup "couldn't even win the starting job.." against that kind of competition is just a ridiculous statement. And your butt-hurt over all things Ohio makes me giddy like a school girl.

the truth is UMass lucked out and got a good QB that would probably get the start for several MAC teams.

You're repeating yourself (again), imbecile.

Nobody was talking to you, imbecile.

What makes you a "school girl" is your raised estrogen levels and your *****, you imbecile.

STFU, you imbecile.

(07-01-2014 09:05 AM)TARDledo Wrote:  You're repeating yourself (again), imbecile.

Nobody was talking to you, imbecile.

What makes you a "school girl" is your raised estrogen levels and your *****, you imbecile.

STFU, you imbecile.

Really? That's the level of your discourse? I feel sorry for the women in your life. You have a pretty high level of misogyny going on there. You're embarrassing yourself, really, regardless of any arguments you may have with perimeterpost.

(07-01-2014 09:18 AM)axeme Wrote:  Really? That's the level of your discourse? I feel sorry for the women in your life. You have a pretty high level of misogyny going on there. You're embarrassing yourself, really, regardless of any arguments you may have with perimeterpost.

Tell us about your username.

(07-01-2014 09:18 AM)axeme Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 09:05 AM)TARDledo Wrote:  You're repeating yourself (again), imbecile.

Nobody was talking to you, imbecile.

What makes you a "school girl" is your raised estrogen levels and your *****, you imbecile.

STFU, you imbecile.

Really? That's the level of your discourse? I feel sorry for the women in your life. You have a pretty high level of misogyny going on there. You're embarrassing yourself, really, regardless of any arguments you may have with perimeterpost.

Tend to agree. Maybe one less "imbecile" would have worked in your favor....

(07-01-2014 09:25 AM)TARDledo Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 09:18 AM)axeme Wrote:  Really? That's the level of your discourse? I feel sorry for the women in your life. You have a pretty high level of misogyny going on there. You're embarrassing yourself, really, regardless of any arguments you may have with perimeterpost.

Tell us about your username.

My username, taken about 12-13 years ago, is a variation of a college nickname, "axe," with a "me" attached because I couldn't use "axe" as a username as it was taken. Axe-Me. Me-Axe.
Bored yet?

I can't even imagine why anyone would care, though I understand why you would want to divert attention from your own words.

The idea of your suggesting anyone's username is somehow questionable is stunningly ironic. Good one.

(07-01-2014 10:52 AM)axeme Wrote:  Good one.

If I may interject... Frohnapfel is a really good quarterback. He should be a huge asset. If you've ever seen him in action (live), he is a specimen... big guy, strong arm, not afraid to deliver a hit and with his big frame, he can take them as well. However, as Dr. Torch pointed out, all of this is a moot point if there is no line to protect him.

Good luck to all of you MAC schools this year (except in three specific games, of course...)

As for the rest of this thread...