Back in my day, Big Red was in a basketball conference with Massillon, Canton McKinley, Niles, Warren Harding, Alliance, Salem, and East Liverpool. One fateful night, the Big Red bus got stuck in a blizzard while going to Warren. I don't think we ever did get there. The kids didn't get back home until well after midnight. It was shortly thereafter that Big Red pulled out of that conference and started scheduling local teams from the OVAC. I hope nothing like this happens with the new conference.

When is this new conference supposed to start? 2011 or 2012?

Fairwood, All as I know is that while I was at the conveinent store on sunset blvd buying a 5th of crown royal, an older fellow was telling the clerk all about it.

Al Capone wrote: Fairwood, All as I know is that while I was at the conveinent store on sunset blvd buying a 5th of crown royal, an older fellow was telling the clerk all about it.

Oh, excuse me, I didn't realize this information came from such a reliable source!

Seriously, though, I hope you're right. Big Red needs at least one true rival. Wheeling Park, Buffalo St. Joe's, Tonawanda O'Hara, Fairview, Canton CC, Akron SVSM, and quite a few other teams have never beaten us. Dover, Buchtel, and Ursuline have beaten us but not for many years. East Liverpool has beaten us in the past ten years, but the weather had a lot to do with it. The closest thing we have to a rivalry is Mooney but we only play them in the playoffs.

We need to play at least one team that can beat us every year. That would make the games a lot more exciting. Inkster would be a possiblity, but they are too far away and don't bring any fans. I doubt if we will play them again, and for sure it will not be home and home.

Playing home and home against Dover, New Philly, Marietta, Cambridge, and Zanesville would make for a good schedule every year. That would also give us openings to play Massillon which I hope will continue for many more years.

ManO'War wrote: SOS, you're the biggest hypocrite I have ever saw...you did the exact same thing that you're putting others down for.

And you always talk about "hometown pride", but you don't mind it when the Steubenville kids on the west end attend IC.

Also, I lived in Florida for 10 years (94-04), so I don't know every athlete that Big Red lost to other schools, those were just the ones I knew off the top of my head. And those were kids that were actually IN Big Red...not just the school system. If a kid transfers after the 8th grade, then they were never in said school to begin with.

hypocrite? All I do day after day if defend IC against one-sided people like you. I have supported Big Red in the play offs and I have defended them because they are a valley team. All you do along with the rest of the Big Red fans do is poke at us even though you take the area's best players and claim them your own... Your so stuck on that ward thing... So why are you complaining if the Pierros LIVE THERE and they attend Big Red? Also the is a lineman that live in the Lovers Lane apartments that attends Big Red... WHO in that ward DOESN'T go to Big Red???? Sounds like you want it all including the icing on the cake.

Woods, seriously dude. I quit answering your questions because your insight is worthless, weak, and you cannot open your mind at all. Please don't speak, It only makes those around you look even more dumb.

sonofsam wrote:

ManO'War wrote: SOS, you're the biggest hypocrite I have ever saw...you did the exact same thing that you're putting others down for.

And you always talk about "hometown pride", but you don't mind it when the Steubenville kids on the west end attend IC.

Also, I lived in Florida for 10 years (94-04), so I don't know every athlete that Big Red lost to other schools, those were just the ones I knew off the top of my head. And those were kids that were actually IN Big Red...not just the school system. If a kid transfers after the 8th grade, then they were never in said school to begin with.

hypocrite? All I do day after day if defend IC against one-sided people like you. I have supported Big Red in the play offs and I have defended them because they are a valley team. All you do along with the rest of the Big Red fans do is poke at us even though you take the area's best players and claim them your own... Your so stuck on that ward thing... So why are you complaining if the Pierros LIVE THERE and they attend Big Red? Also the is a lineman that live in the Lovers Lane apartments that attends Big Red... WHO in that ward DOESN'T go to Big Red???? Sounds like you want it all including the icing on the cake.

Woods, seriously dude. I quit answering your questions because your insight is worthless, weak, and you cannot open your mind at all. Please don't speak, It only makes those around you look even more dumb.

You never did tell us how many Steubenville kids attend Creek.

SOS...Open Enrollment is the LAW of the land, but you continue to bash Big Red for abiding by said law. If you have a problem with OE, then take it up with the state government. You should also have a problem with all the OE kids that IC receive too though, but I never see you make a statement about that. You're the one that wants your cake and eat it too.

Honestly, with IC's program, it wouldn't make a difference who they got, because they certainly are not making anything out of the ones they have. There is some raw talent there, but it never gets developed. Case in point is this past year's freshmen teams...both teams are pretty evenly matched talent wise. I think IC won as 7th graders, then Big Red won as 8th, and then last year Big Red won as frosh by a bigger margin. By the time they are seniors, Big Red will be leaps and bounds ahead of their IC counter parts. That's what a program does.

SOS .. I only wrie the facts and truth that for some reason you cant handle.

SOS-- As I told you before (but you chose not to listen), times have changed. When I went to school, kids attended the school where they lived. In today's world, kids have the option to shop around because of open enrollment and because of the influence of the privates. For every Big Red and Massillon and Mooney, you have a small Christian school with no particular sports program that is doing well because the parents want their kids to have a religious upbringing. Catholic schools are known for having good discipline, largely because they can kick out the troublemakers. I'm absolutely certain that Creek draws some kids from Big Red because the parents don't want their children attending a school in downtown Steubenville. The reasons for tranferring are numerous and not just based on football.

If Creek wants to stem the tide, then they will have to do two things. First, the citizens of Wintersville and Mingo simply have to start passing levies on a regular basis and to get the school district fixed up. The levy passed in November was a great step in the right direction, but this must continue. Secondly, to keep football players, Creek needs to get a head coach and coaching staff that can develop the players to get into the playoffs and win some playoff games. I don't believe Connor and his staff have the wherewithall to do it. I think the farthest he can take this team is to make the playoffs but go one and done. That's not enough to keep the top players at home.

I wish Creek the best of luck.

So is this ECOL thing legit or just a rumor? I can't find anything on it.

fish82, I've heard from a very reliable source that it is indeed legit.....I wish it wasn't.

ManO'War wrote: fish82, I've heard from a very reliable source that it is indeed legit.....I wish it wasn't.

Why don't you like it? Because of the travel for the non-football teams?

I don't see how it solves anything for football..we still have to find 4 teams willing to come to our place every year. Then we are locked into a boring schedule with the same teams over and over again. We won't be able to schedule anyone after week 4, so the first 4 games will be teams with no stadiums, or out of state teams.

So our schedule will look something like this:

Akron Buchtel
Cleveland South
Buff. St Joes
Buff. Cardinal O'Hara
New Philly
Claymont
Zanesville
Dover
Marietta
Cambridge

Doesn't exactly excite anyone.

Travel for the other sports will just be insane.

If this does happen, I bet Big Red stays in it for just a few years. The travel for sports other than football will become overwhelming, just as the basketball conference I talked about did back in the 1960's.

As far as playing the same teams every year, we already played St. Joe's nine time before they apparently dropped us, we have been playing O'Hara for three years and I guess this will continue, we play Wheeling Park every year even though they have never even been competitive. Ditto with East Liverpool. And we don't play the other teams like Watterson and Poland long enough to establish a rivalry. I think Big Red fans would get a lot more excited about playing Dover than playing Fairview.

The other reason why I don't think it would last too long is because the Big Red fans are spoiled. They want their seven home games every year. I think the administration will take a lot of heat if we don't have that.

At any rate, we will just have to wait and see what happens.

fish82 wrote: So is this ECOL thing legit or just a rumor? I can't find anything on it.

Never doubt an old man in a convience store dressed head to toe in big red garb.

fish82 wrote: So is this ECOL thing legit or just a rumor? I can't find anything on it.

I hope it is..so much for Zanesville jumping ship to the ECOL so they can win it.

FairwoodKing wrote: If this does happen, I bet Big Red stays in it for just a few years. The travel for sports other than football will become overwhelming, just as the basketball conference I talked about did back in the 1960's.

As far as playing the same teams every year, we already played St. Joe's nine time before they apparently dropped us, we have been playing O'Hara for three years and I guess this will continue, we play Wheeling Park every year even though they have never even been competitive. Ditto with East Liverpool. And we don't play the other teams like Watterson and Poland long enough to establish a rivalry. I think Big Red fans would get a lot more excited about playing Dover than playing Fairview.

The other reason why I don't think it would last too long is because the Big Red fans are spoiled. They want their seven home games every year. I think the administration will take a lot of heat if we don't have that.

At any rate, we will just have to wait and see what happens.

Well there will be no more Massillon's, Boardman's, Poland's, Watterson's, Ursuline's, Canton CC's, Akron St V's, etc... on the schedule unless we are willing to play 5 home and 5 away. I just don't see that happening though, as the loss of two home games will take it's toll on the finances. And home playoff games will be harder to come by with a league affiliation, as you are locked into a set number of points even if you win every league games.

The idea of Steubenville applying for membership in the ECOL is so ironic that it's....well.....pretty damn ironic.

ManO'War wrote: Well there will be no more Massillon's, Boardman's, Poland's, Watterson's, Ursuline's, Canton CC's, Akron St V's, etc... on the schedule unless we are willing to play 5 home and 5 away. I just don't see that happening though, as the loss of two home games will take it's toll on the finances. And home playoff games will be harder to come by with a league affiliation, as you are locked into a set number of points even if you win every league games.

How do other teams financially manage to be able to play 5 and 5 every year? :huh:

I think Big Red will find out that the grass is not greener on the other side of the fence. I predict that Big Red's membership in this league will last four years at max.

why does everyone care about where Big Red plays? if they can get 9 teams to come to them what is the big deal? They built the house of Reno, would you want to leave your mansion to go play in a barn?

GoChiefs wrote:

ManO'War wrote: Well there will be no more Massillon's, Boardman's, Poland's, Watterson's, Ursuline's, Canton CC's, Akron St V's, etc... on the schedule unless we are willing to play 5 home and 5 away. I just don't see that happening though, as the loss of two home games will take it's toll on the finances. And home playoff games will be harder to come by with a league affiliation, as you are locked into a set number of points even if you win every league games.

How do other teams financially manage to be able to play 5 and 5 every year? :huh:

Big Red has some of the very best facilities and staffs in the country. No matter what Big Red wants, Big Red gets. Not all of the money comes from football, of course, but the football revenue does help.

MANAZE wrote: why does everyone care about where Big Red plays? if they can get 9 teams to come to them what is the big deal? They built the house of Reno, would you want to leave your mansion to go play in a barn?

I imagine it's intimidating playing on a field named after the coach. The fans are also intimidating. There are a lot of distraction in the stadium like the horse and the TV screen. There is a reason why Big Red has only lost one home game in the past eight years and it's not because of home cookin'. (The 17 penalties we got against Creek last year proved that.)

GoChiefs wrote:

ManO'War wrote: Well there will be no more Massillon's, Boardman's, Poland's, Watterson's, Ursuline's, Canton CC's, Akron St V's, etc... on the schedule unless we are willing to play 5 home and 5 away. I just don't see that happening though, as the loss of two home games will take it's toll on the finances. And home playoff games will be harder to come by with a league affiliation, as you are locked into a set number of points even if you win every league games.

How do other teams financially manage to be able to play 5 and 5 every year? :huh:

Big Red not just survives, but thrives financially, there is a difference (see Massillon).

MANAZE wrote: why does everyone care about where Big Red plays? if they can get 9 teams to come to them what is the big deal? They built the house of Reno, would you want to leave your mansion to go play in a barn?

Who said I cared? I asked a question..curious as to why others manage just fine financially while others seem to think Big Red would struggle financially without playing 7 or 8 home games.