Welcome To The Gateway From SIU

[SIU1979]

Hi Jackrabbits fans,

I'm an SIU fan from Carbondale and just wanted to say welcome to the Gateway. No smack talk, just wanted to express some respect for your program and say we're really looking forward to having you in the conference this year.

Just beat Northern Iowa!

[2002jack]

Re: Welcome To The Gateway From SIU

Welcome to the board. I hope we crush UNI next year as well.

[SIU1979]

Re: Welcome To The Gateway From SIU

I kinda view UNI as the snobby rich kid of the conference

[EQguy]

Re: Welcome To The Gateway From SIU

If you feel that way about UNI wait until you get to know NDSU.

[Nidaros]

Re: Welcome To The Gateway From SIU

Hi Jackrabbits fans,

I'm an SIU fan from Carbondale and just wanted to say welcome to the Gateway. No smack talk, just wanted to express some respect for your program and say we're really looking forward to having you in the conference this year.

Just beat Northern Iowa!

Welcome SIU1979:

I can recall Jerry Kill's name coming up over on the D2Football.com, and I believe he coached in the MIAA before going to SIU. I had not realized that he was behind the SIU football resurgence. I think you and your SIU fans are in for a real treat with Coach Lennon. He is a class guy and runs a very disciplined program. Probably the only reason he is not at Montana State was the condition of the Montana State program that he preceived in his visit to Bozeman. He saw too many problems to fix, and apparently thats not what he saw in Carbondale.

People in Brookings were asking what a Saluki was back in 1963. That was the year SDSU beat you guys in the NCAA College Division basketball tourney in Evansville Indiana. Long time ago, but I know about Saluki dog. Seems like you had a NBA guy on your team in 1963 but the name escapes me. We look forward to playing you in football.

[SIU1979]

Re: Welcome To The Gateway From SIU

Welcome SIU1979:

I can recall Jerry Kill's name coming up over on the D2Football.com, and I believe he coached in the MIAA before going to SIU. I had not realized that he was behind the SIU football resurgence. I think you and your SIU fans are in for a real treat with Coach Lennon. He is a class guy and runs a very disciplined program. Probably the only reason he is not at Montana State was the condition of the Montana State program that he preceived in his visit to Bozeman. He saw too many problems to fix, and apparently thats not what he saw in Carbondale.

People in Brookings were asking what a Saluki was back in 1963. That was the year SDSU beat you guys in the NCAA College Division basketball tourney in Evansville Indiana. Long time ago, but I know about Saluki dog. Seems like you had a NBA guy on your team in 1963 but the name escapes me. We look forward to playing you in football.

Thank you for your very kind words That NBA guy would be Walt "Clyde" Frazier, the 1967 MVP of the NIT for SIU.

It's hard to believe SIU's football program was 1-10 just seven years ago. Coach Kill came in and got the deadbeats off the field and out of the locker room and restored respect and prominence to a program many people had left for dead. Four other coaches had tried and failed to turn around the program before he came.

In fact, prior to Coach Kill's arrival, SIU had even started talk of dropping football altogether and demolishing McAndrew Stadium.

But Kill changed that. And now, we're a top-10 program in the FCS and have 15 of 22 starters returning in the fall.

I am very excited about Coach Lennon. The first time in 12 years I've been excited about a new coach. But I believe Coach Lennon has to understand how far we've come just as much as how far we would like to go.

I feel bad we couldn't get Kill a modern facility in his tenure. He did all this with a crumbling eyesore whose swan song was in 1983. He got a local eletric company to donate new lighting for McAndrew (SIU hadn't had a night football game since the '70s) and thus we have night football now.

I think a lot of people can agree that sometimes one person is all it takes to make a difference. SIU football will always be Coach Kill. And we wish him well.

[JimmieTuba]

Re: Welcome To The Gateway From SIU

Welcome to the board. I hope we crush NIU next year as well.

We don't play Northern Illinois next year

[filbert]

Re: Welcome To The Gateway From SIU

We don't play Northern Illinois next year

I was wondering if someone would catch that little slip . . .

[2002jack]

Re: Welcome To The Gateway From SIU

I was wondering if someone would catch that little slip . . .

This has been corrected.

[filbert]

Re: Welcome To The Gateway From SIU

This has been corrected.

Just having a bit of school-abbreviation fun. You know how some folk get uppity about what their school is called (vis. Cal-Davis)

[tcbison]

Re: Welcome To The Gateway From SIU

If you feel that way about UNI wait until you get to know NDSU.

Interesting observation.

[EQguy]

Re: Welcome To The Gateway From SIU

Interesting observation.

Do you agree or disagree?

Your school obviously has much more money at hand than ours and my feelings are that NDSU fans in general just see themselves as better than SDSU fans and in many ways they are and in many ways they aren't. I don't know if snobby rich kid is totally accurate but its pretty close.

[tcbison]

Re: Welcome To The Gateway From SIU

Do you agree or disagree?

Your school obviously has much more money at hand than ours and my feelings are that NDSU fans in general just see themselves as better than SDSU fans and in many ways they are and in many ways they aren't. I don't know if snobby rich kid is totally accurate but its pretty close.

Honestly, I guess I have never thought of it this way. I thought that UND was the snobby rich kid!

Growing up I watched NDSU win National Championships and build a strong tradition. NDSU had more success in football and SDSU had more success in men's basketball.

For me, I have confidence that NDSU will field good teams in athletics. I am sure that confidence comes off as arrogance to other schools.

Either way, it is good to know how you feel about NDSU. Personally I cheer for SDSU when they are not playing NDSU. There is something about another Ag school that makes me want to cheer for it. I do the same with Montana State. I am glad SDSU made the transition with NDSU.

[EQguy]

Re: Welcome To The Gateway From SIU

I also cheer for the bison when they are not facing the Jacks. I truly believe that we make great partners for each other. Its just the attitude that comes from many (not all) Bison fans that makes me feel that way.

I will not ever cheer for MSU as I have experienced their fans and I found them to have the least amount of class as I have seen at this level.

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: Welcome To The Gateway From SIU

I suppose I have noticed a little bit of the "cockiness" from the NDSU folks but not all of them by any means. That probably comes with the undeniable tradition they have built up over the years and it has certainly continued at the FCS level.

The difference for me is that there may be some of that attitude but this rivalry has been kept very classy so far with both teams and their fans showing each other respect. That is what it is all about!

This rivalry is only going to continue to grow and I just don't see it gravitating to the way it was with SDSU/U. and NDSU/UND.

Looking forward to the basketaball games!

GO JACKS!

SUPERBUNNY