2019 Football Non-Game Thread

[JD24]

Thanks 16 for your observations. I only wish that VUFB would be more forthcoming with Tweets and daily communication.  They are trying but its been a few days since we have heard from the source. Say what you want, the previous staff was a bit better at getting info out to expectant fans.

I'm with you on this. So far I'm not overwhelmed by Coach Fox's communication through the media to the public. Whatever it was supposed to be on media day, that "press conference" provided was attrocious. It has to improve as it is part of his job.

I could not make out practically anything Coach Fox said between the background noise and poor audio. That was so beneath the level of quality we have come to expect of Valpo coverage. I am surprised they even released that. What the heck did he say on "Media Day"?  That is not on Fox. That is on the SID.

I agree with the setting being ridiculous. However I did listen to what Coach Fox said and he was rambling on about very non specific to football points. A lot of mental mumbo jumbo I would say and it was repetitive. We didn't even get the usual "the team had a great camp...."

[valpofb16]

Two things about media day that stood out

1) No SID present and the fill ins seemed to be student reporters asking non scheme related questions. We as fans would like more but the team has to earn more. Heading into last season coverage was best it's ever been following a winning season. Our media team is spread very thin.

2) Fox made a home run play by making media day a part of parent weekend. Players parents got to come in see their kids, there was an intra squad scrimmage. I like the family atmosphere aspect and including the parents. This helps with a few things. Home sickness, family involvement , and I'm sure there were proud parents/students in attendance.


Fox may be a less is more speaker and media guy but If you read the signs he is trying to build a real family atmosphere and foundation with VU football. Name the last coach to do that!

[vu72]

That is on the SID.

Not an excuse, but, Brandon Vickrey is the SID for football and he missed the event because his flight was canceled.  Obviously, it falls more on MLB for not getting someone else on the job in Brandon's absence.

[VULB#62]

Two things about media day that stood out

1) No SID present and the fill ins seemed to be student reporters asking non scheme related questions. We as fans would like more but the team has to earn more. Heading into last season coverage was best it's ever been following a winning season. Our media team is spread very thin.

2) Fox made a home run play by making media day a part of parent weekend. Players parents got to come in see their kids, there was an intra squad scrimmage. I like the family atmosphere aspect and including the parents. This helps with a few things. Home sickness, family involvement , and I'm sure there were proud parents/students in attendance.

Fox may be a less is more speaker and media guy but If you read the signs he is trying to build a real family atmosphere and foundation with VU football. Name the last coach to do that!

16, the things you talk about because of your closeness to the team are the things that we fans need to be told by the Athletic Dept/VUFB/SID on a much more regular basis. I don't understand the dropoff of coverage this preseason, especially as this is Coach Fox's first season and the program needs every possible exposure to generate enthusiasm and support. For example, during camp there were days and days between Twitter posts and very little in terms of video or anything about the camp-ending scrimmage itself.

That is on the SID.

Not an excuse, but, Brandon Vickrey is the SID for football and he missed the event because his flight was canceled.  Obviously, it falls more on MLB for not getting someone else on the job in Brandon's absence

Can't blame Brandon for that, but surely, as you point out, someone else in the SID could have subbed in and arranged for a more professional atmosphere along with a better scripted set of interview questions.

[vu72]

Season Preview!

http://valpoathletics.com/football/news/2019-20/19213/season-preview-centennial-season-set-to-kick-off-for-valpo-football/?fbclid=IwAR1Lb8Sl6bTsONRm9fVLVkkHmZi3CdfX05NlumTNcp0ubZaWcQJMcwSvyaQ

[JD24]

2) Fox made a home run play by making media day a part of parent weekend. Players parents got to come in see their kids, there was an intra squad scrimmage. I like the family atmosphere aspect and including the parents. This helps with a few things. Home sickness, family involvement , and I'm sure there were proud parents/students in attendance. Fox may be a less is more speaker and media guy but If you read the signs he is trying to build a real family atmosphere and foundation with VU football. Name the last coach to do that!

Under the last staff weren't family encouraged to come to the scrimmage and in at least a few years if not all years, have a pretty good showing amongst the parents, friends and family who could make it?

Drumming up support amongst the inner circle is one aspect of coaching and can be accomplished by some leadership amongst the family members but communication with the outside world is going to be extremely important in my view.

As an aside, if the student media isn't going to ask appropriate questions of the football coach, it makes me question the student media. Doesn't Paul Oren teach media related classes at the University?

[crusader05]

Media day happened on the Sunday of Freshman welcome. Most students maybe weren't even back on campus or were just arriving so who knows who was even there for the student side.

[VULB#62]

Season Preview!

http://valpoathletics.com/football/news/2019-20/19213/season-preview-centennial-season-set-to-kick-off-for-valpo-football/?fbclid=IwAR1Lb8Sl6bTsONRm9fVLVkkHmZi3CdfX05NlumTNcp0ubZaWcQJMcwSvyaQ

Hmmmm........  some slight surprises in the depth chart as guys who were go-to guys last year are in competition for their old jobs — especially true on the D side. Interesting as well that the QB role is still portrayed as a toss-up, but that may be more gamesmanship than truth. Cartales in the return game ?

Oh, BTW, regarding the full team picture: does anyone else get a little disoriented by the reflection in the foreground of all the players on the shiny floor of the ARC?

[JD24]

No pre-camp interview. No post-camp interview which could remotely be considered coherent. To this point, no pre-game interview although I guess we could still see this early this week with a game Thursday. These were typical during the last couple of regimes IIRC. Definitely during Cecchini's tenure.

I don't know if this has been coaches choice, SID's choice, a logistics issue or some situation or happenstance I'm not thinking of but it isn't good for the program. The coach needs to be out in front of as many people he can be. Based on what's available for the Dayton program, I don't think this is something learned at Dayton assuming there is a "something" there.

[NWIGuy]

Seems like a great kid...

'Fun to be around': Two-year captain Nick Turner, first-year coach Landon Fox on same page for VU football

https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/sports/ct-ptb-spt-college-football-valparaiso-st-082419-20190823-iqt5t34ydrgbzadthbmvke3x4a-story.html

[usc4valpo]

If Fox wants to limit communication to his team and not be overly accessible to media, I am ok with that as long as there is success on the field. I would rather see some one work on the job and produce fruitful results, rather than Carlson talking about Osteen, defective shields and crap like that with no substance for improvement.

[JD24]

If Fox wants to limit communication to his team and not be overly accessible to media, I am ok with that as long as there is success on the field. I would rather see some one work on the job and produce fruitful results, rather than Carlson talking about Osteen, defective shields and crap like that with no substance for improvement.

The Head Coach is responsible for both otherwise less people than already don't pay attention won't pay attention. It also doesn't always come back to Carlson as it often does with you.

[usc4valpo]

Sorry man, the Carlson nightmare is gone but not forgotten. just avoid bogus inspirational quotes please and I will do my best to let it go.

[VULB#62]

 Maverick, Goose, er, Osteen is gone.  Ya just gotta let him go. It wasn't your fault. 

[usc4valpo]

Yep. I want to see a football program the university and its alumni want to be proud of. do it clean but do it successfully. Can this really happen? I am not sure.

[bbtds]

Maverick, Osteen, er, Goose is gone.  Ya just gotta let him go. It wasn't your fault. 

An inspirational talk to help with your Osteen issue


I've heard that many years ago hunters would trap monkeys by filling a big barrel with bananas and then cutting a small hole in the side of it, just big enough for the monkey to get its hand and arm through. The monkey would stick his hand in the barrel and grab a fistful of bananas. As long as he was holding on to those bananas, he couldn't get his hand out of the barrel. He could have just let the bananas go, taken his hand out of the barrel, and gone on his way. But because he was holding on to the bananas, he was trapped and couldn't escape.

Too often we let the past trap us in a similar way. Unfair things happen. People hurt us, and we become offended. We experience loss. We make mistakes. We have a season of disappointment. The Bible says that trouble will come to us. But we can't allow those negative things to define our life. We can't hang on to them and let them become a trap we can't get out of. We have to put our foot down and say, "No more. I'm letting go and moving forward with my life."

The Scripture says God wants to give you beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61:3), but you can't receive the beauty if you don't give God your ashes. Give God your hurts and pains, and then open up wide so that you can receive the beauty He has in store for you. Give Him your past. Let it go. It's better in the hands of God. Don't worry and fret. Don't let a negative season of your life define your life. God doesn't allow it to define you, and neither should you. He's not thinking that way, and neither should you. He's not saying, "Well, you messed up, so you're never going to get the good things that I want you to have."

God has great things in store for you. The apostle Paul says to think on "whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report" (Philippians 4:8). When you're getting stressed out and discouraged, take inventory of what you're thinking about. Are you thinking about good things? Pure things? Things that are praiseworthy? Can you think of the good things that God has done in your life and what He's done in your family? This is how you're going to invest in the great things God has in your future. Remember that where you've been is not as important as where you're going. God has a bright future in store for you.

Not from JOEL OSTEEN or CLAUDE OSTEEN but Joel's wife, VICTORIA OSTEEN.

                   

[JD24]

If I don't see Todd's smiling face sitting next to Coach Fox on a video previewing the season sometime over the next few days I may pop a blood vessel!!!!! Or perhaps a strongly worded email will be sent to....I don't know....someone.

I did find it interesting that there were a few positions in which our board inside source and Brandon's writeup had some differences. What I REALLY didn't like was reading the following:

An injured throwing (right) shoulder limited Seewald to four games in 2018, and he had a second operation during the offseason. When asked if he's 100 percent, Seewald said he's "getting there."

which came from this article:

https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/sports/ct-ptb-spt-college-football-valparaiso-st-082419-20190823-iqt5t34ydrgbzadthbmvke3x4a-story.html

This reads as eerily similar to what we went through at the QB position as last year when the coaching staff kept telling us Seewald was getting better each week when it was clear at best that his throwing motion had changed and he didn't have the same zip on the ball....yet still was the equal or better than the other QBs.

I hope that isn't the case again.

[usc4valpo]

Vicky made some serious theological dollars from that I am sure. Between Warren, Osteen, and Hybels, these mega pastors or snake oil sales people and are a bad influence where they can lead our beloved Saders in the wrong direction as we face the Colonels.

We need Hunter Thompson to lead us to truth!

[valpofb16]

#77 DT Stephen Schimanski has left the program

[usc4valpo]

valpofb16 is doing outstanding work keeping us informed of happenings. Valpo should hire him.

[bbtds]

Vicky made some serious theological dollars from that I am sure. Between Warren, Osteen, and Hybels, these mega pastors or snake oil sales people and are a bad influence where they can lead our beloved Saders in the wrong direction as we face the Colonels.

We need Hunter Thompson to lead us to truth!

That's interesting. I recently tried to watch "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and really didn't comprehend the movie at all. Maybe I'll wait till January 1st, 2020 and drive to Road Ranger off I-70 in Marshall, IL and watch it again with the purchase of some legal recreational drugs per Illinois House Bill 1438. Maybe not.

[usc4valpo]

Read the book - the movie pretty much sucked. Also, his work on the 1972 Presidential campaign was hilarious.

And please, no Lou Holtz inspirational speeches also.

[IndyValpo]

#77 DT Stephen Schimanski has left the program

Made it through camp and picture day then left...

[valpofb16]

Indyvalpo happens quite often as that is usually when scout teams begin.

[JD24]

Indyvalpo happens quite often as that is usually when scout teams begin.

I get the timing but....I don't get the timing. Incoming freshman. Scout team freshman year. Scout team isn't locked in for the full year and opportunity is there to move to travel roster.  We've seen it before but I have to wonder what the expectations were and why the expectations were.

I hope he stayed in school.