Anything that can be done to help build meaningful rivalries with our fellow division members in Texas is good.

(07-26-2013 12:38 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(07-25-2013 10:08 PM)Wiessman Wrote:  There were nine members of the SWC:

- Two are now in the $EC.
- Four are now in the Big 'Horn.
- Two are now in the AAC.

And we are left to slug it out with UTEP, UNT, and UTSA for a "trophy."

Ok, take away the trophy. Better?

(07-25-2013 10:46 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(07-25-2013 09:17 PM)texd Wrote:  If it were just UTEP and us, I'd suggest a trophy that looks like Mile Marker 18 on one side and 769 on the other.

And this really sets up some good message-board material:

For the Parliament: "Ha ha: UTEP is at Mile 18, which sounds like Mila 18, which is the setting of Leon Uris's novel about the Warsaw Ghetto. So UTEP, like the Warsaw Ghetto, is a tragic heap of rubble!"

For the UTEP board: "Ha ha: You said 69..."

George, part of the reason I love Rice humor is because it is often so esoteric. You don't get the reference forever and then one day, you suddenly do and you fall over laughing.

i.e. the Parliament post would actually just be something like your last line - "So UTEP, Mila 18 - a tragic heap of rubble!"
and the UTEP response would be

Some Rice people would get it immediately. Others would google Mila 18 and laugh later... UTEP grads would wonder why we think Mila Kunis is only 18.

(07-26-2013 11:49 AM)Hambone10 Wrote:  

(07-25-2013 10:46 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(07-25-2013 09:17 PM)texd Wrote:  If it were just UTEP and us, I'd suggest a trophy that looks like Mile Marker 18 on one side and 769 on the other.

And this really sets up some good message-board material:

For the Parliament: "Ha ha: UTEP is at Mile 18, which sounds like Mila 18, which is the setting of Leon Uris's novel about the Warsaw Ghetto. So UTEP, like the Warsaw Ghetto, is a tragic heap of rubble!"

For the UTEP board: "Ha ha: You said 69..."

George, part of the reason I love Rice humor is because it is often so esoteric. You don't get the reference forever and then one day, you suddenly do and you fall over laughing.

i.e. the Parliament post would actually just be something like your last line - "So UTEP, Mila 18 - a tragic heap of rubble!"
and the UTEP response would be

Some Rice people would get it immediately. Others would google Mila 18 and laugh later... UTEP grads would wonder why we think Mila Kunis is only 18.

And some of us would think of The Fifth Element, which took on almost cult status amongst my roommates sophomore/junior year at Rice. It was a favorite to put in when everyone was inebriated. But then I would realize that the reference had a different spelling (Mila vs. Milla) and go back to hiding under a beverage cart.

From the conference board - This struck a chord, and not a particularly good one:

Quote:2014 C-USA
#33 Rice
#435 UAB
#451 UTEP
#471 LaTech
#488 Charlotte
#510 WKU
#514 ODU
#515 FAU
#521 FIU
#574 UNT
#576 SoMiss
#606 UTSA
#607 MTSU
NR Marshall

http://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/

Over 400 spots between Rice and the next closest continuing conference peer. Something is not right with that picture.

(07-26-2013 06:17 AM)wheredidmypantsgo Wrote:  the coogs are trolling the board, guys

Yup, from what I've heard, no one at Rice has had any discussions on something like this.

(07-26-2013 03:41 PM)talon owl Wrote:  From the conference board - This struck a chord, and not a particularly good one:

Quote:2014 C-USA
#33 Rice
#435 UAB
#451 UTEP
#471 LaTech
#488 Charlotte
#510 WKU
#514 ODU
#515 FAU
#521 FIU
#574 UNT
#576 SoMiss
#606 UTSA
#607 MTSU
NR Marshall

http://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/

Over 400 spots between Rice and the next closest continuing conference peer. Something is not right with that picture.

Unfortunately, such things don't really matter when forming conferences.

(07-26-2013 03:41 PM)talon owl Wrote:  From the conference board - This struck a chord, and not a particularly good one:

Quote:2014 C-USA
#33 Rice
#435 UAB
#451 UTEP
#471 LaTech
#488 Charlotte
#510 WKU
#514 ODU
#515 FAU
#521 FIU
#574 UNT
#576 SoMiss
#606 UTSA
#607 MTSU
NR Marshall

http://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/

Over 400 spots between Rice and the next closest continuing conference peer. Something is not right with that picture.

Took me a while to figure it out, but then I did - Tier 1 UH is missing

(07-26-2013 03:48 PM)Antarius Wrote:  

(07-26-2013 03:41 PM)talon owl Wrote:  From the conference board - This struck a chord, and not a particularly good one:

Quote:2014 C-USA
#33 Rice
#435 UAB
#451 UTEP
#471 LaTech
#488 Charlotte
#510 WKU
#514 ODU
#515 FAU
#521 FIU
#574 UNT
#576 SoMiss
#606 UTSA
#607 MTSU
NR Marshall

http://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/

Over 400 spots between Rice and the next closest continuing conference peer. Something is not right with that picture.

Took me a while to figure it out, but then I did - Tier 1 UH is missing

You have to look in the mid 300's to find the academic cornerstone of Houston.

The Forbes ranking is pretty off, in my opinion. I don't know about UH and where in the rankings it belongs, but 33 for Rice is pretty silly. This puts Rice behind Tufts, Washington & Lee, and a bunch of other decent-but-not-exceptional schools (in my opinion).

(07-26-2013 06:17 AM)wheredidmypantsgo Wrote:  the coogs are trolling the board, guys

On the contrary,


http://www.gomeangreen.com/forums/topic/...am-trophy/

http://www.rowdytalk.com/showthread.php/...lry-Trophy

(07-26-2013 05:44 PM)Barrett Wrote:  The Forbes ranking is pretty off, in my opinion. I don't know about UH and where in the rankings it belongs, but 33 for Rice is pretty silly. This puts Rice behind Tufts, Washington & Lee, and a bunch of other decent-but-not-exceptional schools (in my opinion).

The difference between say 33 and 13, or 333 and 200 is probably a matter of some pretty minor opinions about weighting...

but the differences between top 50 and 300-450 are not.

We're just setting up more academic "envy" where we make fun of them being not so smart and they say we are arrogant for stating the obvious.

(07-26-2013 10:33 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  We're just setting up more academic "envy" where we make fun of them being not so smart and they say we are arrogant for stating the obvious.

Exactly what makes this not a rivalry. No common ground whatsoever.

(07-26-2013 10:39 PM)Antarius Wrote:  

(07-26-2013 10:33 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  We're just setting up more academic "envy" where we make fun of them being not so smart and they say we are arrogant for stating the obvious.

Exactly what makes this not a rivalry. No common ground whatsoever.

Madness. What are we doing in a conference with these teams? We need to get our house sorted out.

Not madness... look at D2 and D3 options. We would be much worse off both academically and athletically. Abilene Christian (ACU) moved up from D2 specifically to improve their image as from an academic perspective. This is true for some new conference mates like ODU. Both are decent schools, but D1 academic requirements are the driving force to improve the overall academic stature of the entire university.

Are we happy where we are, ABSOLUTELY not! We need to fix it. Let's help make it happen.

I was viewing The Parliament and got an add banner for The St. Thomas Medical School of the Caribbean with a 96% pass rate on the USMLE Part 1. I blew it off as I didn't want to see my pass rate slip from 100% to 50%.

However, the next day, the add banner offered something of real value. I could get a degree online from the only public Tier I university in Houston. After some serious introspection, I decided one Tier I degree from Houston was enough for me.