Lacrosse season approaching

ESPNU (still not available on Comcast) will broadcast Cornell's lax game at Army at 5pm, February 28.

Inside Lacrosse has a kind of index page to their pre-season articles here: [insidelacrosse.com]

Al DeFlorio
ESPNU (still not available on Comcast) will broadcast Cornell's lax game at Army at 5pm, February 28.

Inside Lacrosse has a kind of index page to their pre-season articles here: [insidelacrosse.com]

That's fine, I'll probably be there

By the way, anyone realize the name of Army's lax field?
[www.goarmysports.com]

DeltaOne81

Al DeFlorio
ESPNU (still not available on Comcast) will broadcast Cornell's lax game at Army at 5pm, February 28.

Inside Lacrosse has a kind of index page to their pre-season articles here: [insidelacrosse.com]

That's fine, I'll probably be there

By the way, anyone realize the name of Army's lax field?
[www.goarmysports.com]

Dress warmly. Should be cold after a 2/28 sunset on the banks of the Hudson. We'll be in Amman.

DeltaOne81

Al DeFlorio
ESPNU (still not available on Comcast) will broadcast Cornell's lax game at Army at 5pm, February 28.

Inside Lacrosse has a kind of index page to their pre-season articles here: [insidelacrosse.com]

That's fine, I'll probably be there

By the way, anyone realize the name of Army's lax field?
[www.goarmysports.com]

Wow, that's waaayy too pretty to be called Shea Stadium.

>>> Located along the banks of the Hudson River, Shea Stadium is also equipped with two functional locker rooms ...

Trying to figure the opposite of functional.

billhoward
>>> Located along the banks of the Hudson River, Shea Stadium is also equipped with two functional locker rooms ...

Trying to figure the opposite of functional.

the visiting locker rooms at Lynah come to mind.

Dpperk29

billhoward
>>> Located along the banks of the Hudson River, Shea Stadium is also equipped with two functional locker rooms ...

Trying to figure the opposite of functional.

the visiting locker rooms at Lynah come to mind.

If it's under construction, there could be two that are functional and others that are currently not functional.

Or, "functional" could be used to describe them as austere, as opposed to luxurious locker rooms at professional stadiums.

billhoward
Trying to figure the opposite of functional.

Non-functional?

billhoward
>>> Located along the banks of the Hudson River, Shea Stadium is also equipped with two functional locker rooms ...

Trying to figure the opposite of functional.

dysfunctional

http://ivyleaguesports.com/article.asp?intID=6943

CornellFan
http://ivyleaguesports.com/article.asp?intID=6943

Wow.

In short, starting in 2010 lax (both men and women) will have a 4 team ivy playoff for the Ivy bid to the NCAAs (but not Ivy title).

If they're willing to do this during finals in the spring what next? Basketball tournament, football playoffs?

I hope this doesn't come at the expense of two nonconference games on the schedule or start date or some nonsense. I presume it won't since only 4 teams are involved.

Holy shit. That's ginormous. It's such a shock I don't even know what to think.

Gut reaction good: Increases chances of future tournament bids for Cornell. Increases chances for watching Cornell lacrosse live and on TV. Improves Ivy teams' recruiting pitches.

Gut reaction bad: As a card-carrying old-school crankpot, I have always hated conference tournaments. Hated.

Hillel Hoffmann
Holy shit. That's ginormous. It's such a shock I don't even know what to think.

Gut reaction good: Increases chances of future tournament bids for Cornell. Increases chances for watching Cornell lacrosse live and on TV. Improves Ivy teams' recruiting pitches.

Gut reaction bad: As a card-carrying old-school crankpot, I have always hated conference tournaments. Hated.

Also presumably helps play down to the stupid NCAA selection nonsense. By theoretically seeing a good princeton team twice, Cornell's t-10 sos improves. Thus, it can continue to play local rivals like binghamton, colgate, and hobart (and bad ivy teams!) without as strong tourney repercussions.

I don't buy the tie breaker stuff as the motivating factor. It seems no less likely for their to be ties in sports like field hockey. I'm more inclined to think it's the reality of NCAA seeding.

Here's another reason for liking a post-season tournament that's just hitting me. A shallow, selfish, short-term reason. As a Cornell fan, I like that it starts in 2010, the first year of the post-Seibald/Glynn/Moyer era. That could be a tough, transitional season. To get an NCAA tournament bid, Cornell might need a conference tournament more than any season since Tambroni became head coach.

CornellFan
http://ivyleaguesports.com/article.asp?intID=6943

Listen closely, people. Whatever you do, DO NOT TELL KEITHK ABOUT THIS.

ugarte

CornellFan
http://ivyleaguesports.com/article.asp?intID=6943

Listen closely, people. Whatever you do, DO NOT TELL KEITHK ABOUT THIS.

ROFL! Too late.

Yes, I hate the idea in principle. That's a given. I'll spare you all the pontificating though (this time).

It seems like Chris is right that this will play right into the NCAA selection criteria and most likely improve Ivy teams ratings.It's sad that the tournament selection process is so f---ed up that the Ivies feel the need to emulate the ACC.

Chris '03
Wow.

In short, starting in 2010 lax (both men and women) will have a 4 team ivy playoff for the Ivy bid to the NCAAs (but not Ivy title).

If they're willing to do this during finals in the spring what next? Basketball tournament, football playoffs?

I hope this doesn't come at the expense of two nonconference games on the schedule or start date or some nonsense. I presume it won't since only 4 teams are involved.

Very cool. Hopefully, hoops will be next. I'd go to, say, MSG to see Cornell play for the Ivy Championship. Football... well, probably never, unless they would further allow the champion to go on to the DI-AA tourney. I'd lose a NC RS game for that. The Ivies got along fine with 9 games forever.

Trotsky

Chris '03

If they're willing to do this during finals in the spring what next? Basketball tournament, football playoffs?

Very cool. Hopefully, hoops will be next. I'd go to, say, MSG to see Cornell play for the Ivy Championship. Football... well, probably never, unless they would further allow the champion to go on to the DI-AA tourney. I'd lose a NC RS game for that. The Ivies got along fine with 9 games forever.

I meant I-AA playoffs, not an Ivy football playoff. And I think the Palestra is a more likely home to an Ivy hoops tournament than MSG, who will be busy with the Big East around then.

The more I think about this, the more I'm disappointed. Here's Tierney on the issue:

Tierney
"Having a tournament will help Ivy League teams with their strength of schedule and their RPI, Just as importantly, it will be a great showcase for Ivy League lacrosse, and I'm sure Ivy lacrosse players will look at it as a highlight of their careers."

This is shameless bowing to and legitimizing a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE selection system. If tie breaking were really the issue, they'd just institute a playoff procedure like that which exists in basketball now. I would have preferred to see the Ivy coaches come out together in favor of fixing the system rather than this. What if they threatened to stop scheduling non-conference games and went to a 12 game Ivy schedule where everyone played each other twice? There'd be no way to rate the Ivies against anyone else and it would be hard to deny an 11-1 or 10-2 Princeton or Cornell team that finishes second in the Ivies and has a history of national success a post-season bid.

Furthermore, what does this do to the regular season CU/PU game in a year where they're 1-2? Sure they'll want the Ivy title, but wouldn't the new playoff game be more important? That's the one you need to win. Just seems to cheapen it. But at least it will probably be on some TV station no one gets.

Chris '03
Furthermore, what does this do to the regular season CU/PU game in a year where they're 1-2? Sure they'll want the Ivy title, but wouldn't the new playoff game be more important? That's the one you need to win. Just seems to cheapen it.

Of course, it cheapens it! That's... wait, sorry. I said I wouldn't pontificate.

KeithK

Chris '03
Furthermore, what does this do to the regular season CU/PU game in a year where they're 1-2? Sure they'll want the Ivy title, but wouldn't the new playoff game be more important? That's the one you need to win. Just seems to cheapen it.

Of course, it cheapens it! That's... wait, sorry. I said I wouldn't pontificate.

I'm with Keith on this one (and Chris, whose postings I like more every day). I think it stinks. If they want a playoff to break a tie (like last year), I'm fine with it. Works for basketball, would work for lacrosse. This is just a jerry-rig. Maybe they could have the top two Ivy teams play each other two or three times so they could raise their strength of schedule.

The NCAA selection and seeding criteria are lousy. Let's focus on getting them fixed, instead.

Chris '03
If they're willing to do this during finals in the spring what next? Basketball tournament, football playoffs?

Call me an old curmudgeon, but I like being from the only D1 conference that doesn't have playoffs for hoops. I'm all for a football postseason, but they should stay away from conference playoffs for basketball and the like.

I agree with those of you who want to fix the NCAA selection process. You are right.

Still, I think it is smart to game the system as it exists. Besides the fact that others game the system and there is nothing unethical about it, it also may help to expose the absurdity in the existing selection mechanism.

And who knows, there may be some compelling on-the-field competition as a result of having the tourney.

Karl

Better yet...let's have a "SUPER DUPER IVY POWERHOUSE SERIES" where Cornell plays Princeton in a best of 7 series at the end of the conference tournament. Tierney and Tambroni could completely throw the tournament to let a 3rd ivy in and just completely make a mockery of it all, whilst thumbing our noses at the ACC as we both climb the ladder of SOS/RPI on each other's backs.

heykb
Besides the fact that others game the system and there is nothing unethical about it, it also may help to expose the absurdity in the existing selection mechanism.

Isn't gaming the system inherently unethical? The fact that something is permitted by the rules doesn't make it ethical.

KeithK

heykb
Besides the fact that others game the system and there is nothing unethical about it, it also may help to expose the absurdity in the existing selection mechanism.

Isn't gaming the system inherently unethical? The fact that something is permitted by the rules doesn't make it ethical.

If one was exploiting an unintended deficiency that others in the "system" were unaware of, I'd say yes. But here it is patently obvious to anyone following lacrosse how the system works and has for some time and yet no one has taken an steps to fix it. We're at the point were the lack of effort to change it leads one to conclude this is how the people in the system want it to be, so now your just "playing by the rules". I don't love that, but I also don't want the Ivies to do nothing and keep letting themselves be disadvantaged by the system.

JasonN95
If one was exploiting an unintended deficiency that others in the "system" were unaware of, I'd say yes. But here it is patently obvious to anyone following lacrosse how the system works and has for some time and yet no one has taken an steps to fix it. We're at the point were the lack of effort to change it leads one to conclude this is how the people in the system want it to be, so now your just "playing by the rules". I don't love that, but I also don't want the Ivies to do nothing and keep letting themselves be disadvantaged by the system.

I'm with Jason. The committee is fully aware and approving of the fact (or otherwise willfully ignorant) that their system weights SOS extremely high. They are fully aware (or, ditto) that it allows strong conferences to make insular schedules and up their tourney chances.

I actually emailed one of the committee members once, with a whole description of the fact that their criteria are SoS, 75% SoS, and strongly SoS, and, I got a reply! basically saying "yeah, SoS is important".

Screw 'em. I'd be for the super-duper series too.

DeltaOne81

By the way, anyone realize the name of Army's lax field?
[www.goarmysports.com]

Actually, Army plays most of its home games at Michie Stadium, where they play football. The Cornell game is at Michie.

Add me to the Jason vote. This is exactly how I see it.

Karl

Chris '03
By theoretically seeing a good princeton team twice, Cornell's t-10 sos improves. Thus, it can continue to play local rivals like binghamton, colgate, and hobart (and bad ivy teams!) without as strong tourney repercussions.

Given that the tournament will be held on the "season’s last weekend," won't this actually put one of these games in jeopardy?¹ I think we're essentially forced to give up a non-conference game for these tournament shenanigans. Binghamton would probably be the game that goes bye-bye.

Couldn't we just play Binghamton mid-week?

mnagowski
Couldn't we just play Binghamton mid-week?

We already do. It's Hobart we've been playing on Slope Day (the last weekend of the year). I presume Scersk implied that Hobart would move and Bingo get axed.

The [www.theithacajournal.com] reported that the Little Red's junior FO wizard Gabe Mendola has selected Harvard over Cornell. Disappointing, but it's hard to argue with a kid wanting to be a 6th generation Harvardite.

Now, if JT can lock up Torin Varn...

ithacat
Now, if JT can lock up Torin Varn...

Sadly, not gonna happen. Reports are that Varn is heading to Hofstra. It's a good match, I think. Best of luck to him and all Ithaca players hoping to play intercollegiate lacrosse.

Hillel Hoffmann

ithacat
Now, if JT can lock up Torin Varn...

Sadly, not gonna happen. Reports are that Varn is heading to Hofstra. It's a good match, I think. Best of luck to him and all Ithaca players hoping to play intercollegiate lacrosse.

Wow...you're good.

[www.theithacajournal.com]

Good for Varn. That's 3 D1 laxers from this year's Little Red.

It sounds like SU smoked Hofstra in a scrimmage this afternoon.