Need proof? Northern Illinois University is now part of the Mountain West Conference.
So I guess Lord Carhorn was right after all. Illinois really isn't flat since it's a part of the mountain west (or at least the Mountain West.)
I love skiing on Mount Illinois. Completely superior experience I've found to anything Wisconsin has to offer.
Quote from: hbelkins on January 10, 2025, 03:21:44 PMNeed proof? Northern Illinois University is now part of the Mountain West Conference.
So I guess Lord Carhorn was right after all. Illinois really isn't flat since it's a part of the mountain west (or at least the Mountain West.)
I love looking at the mountains while sitting in the home stands. I wonder if the altitude messes with the pressure of the football.
We need a CrashItGPT that writes posts the way the legend himself does would on these kinds of matters.
Something along the lines of "if you need more proof Illinois isn't flat, look no further than Northern Illinois University athletics participating in the Mountain West Conference. Why would a team from a flat state participate in a conference called Mountain? There are steep roads in DeKalb County (the #1 rated county in Illinois according to Wallethub) I drive on them often.
I want to hike to the summit of Mount Chicago.
DeKalb has a higher elevation than three of the other Mountain West schools and two of the schools leaving the conference (Hawaii and the four California schools). Clearly that means it's a real mountain town.
NCAA's conferences are an absolute joke at this point in terms of geography.
DeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.
And some part of Southern Illinois are also hilly, in the aera of the Shawnee Hills, often called "Illinois Ozarks".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawnee_Hills
Quote from: epzik8 on January 11, 2025, 09:12:22 AMNCAA's conferences are an absolute joke at this point in terms of geography.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on January 11, 2025, 01:47:45 PMDeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.
Remember when the NFC West was San Francisco and...St. Louis, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Carolina??
I was always waiting for him to claim Michigan isn't hilly which it most certainly is. He did tell me that Saginaw County is the most flat county in Michigan though which I don't believe as there are other counties around here just as flat. Saginaw is actually in a valley so I don't think it could be completely flat.
Quote from: DTComposer on January 11, 2025, 03:09:17 PMQuote from: epzik8 on January 11, 2025, 09:12:22 AMNCAA's conferences are an absolute joke at this point in terms of geography.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on January 11, 2025, 01:47:45 PMDeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.
Remember when the NFC West was San Francisco and...St. Louis, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Carolina??
In MLB you had both the Reds and Braves in the NL West. The Cubs were in the NL East but the White Sox were in the AL West and the Brewers were in the AL East.
Quote from: DTComposer on January 11, 2025, 03:09:17 PMQuote from: epzik8 on January 11, 2025, 09:12:22 AMNCAA's conferences are an absolute joke at this point in terms of geography.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on January 11, 2025, 01:47:45 PMDeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.
Remember when the NFC West was San Francisco and...St. Louis, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Carolina??
Interesting story. The original NFC West included the above, and was one of five proposed NFC allignments when the AFL merged with the NFL. All of the others had the Cowboys in the West. Pete Rozelle's secretary picked it out of random draw because it was so contentious.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on January 11, 2025, 01:47:45 PMDeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.
The US geographic center of population has been in Missouri since the 1980 Census. DeKalb is considerably east of that.
Quote from: Road Hog on January 11, 2025, 08:01:34 PMQuote from: Roadgeekteen on January 11, 2025, 01:47:45 PMDeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.
The US geographic center of population has been in Missouri since the 1980 Census. DeKalb is considerably east of that.
The mean center is in Missouri. The median center is in Indiana.
Quote from: Stephane Dumas on January 11, 2025, 02:33:01 PMAnd some part of Southern Illinois are also hilly, in the aera of the Shawnee Hills, often called "Illinois Ozarks".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawnee_Hills
There is a hilly area much closer to DeKalb than the Shawnee Hills and Forest in Southern Illinois. Northwestern Illinois also is quite hilly. Galena even has a ski resort.
The glaciers responsible for most of Illinois's flatness did not extend to Northwestern Illinois
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on January 11, 2025, 01:47:45 PMDeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.
No it's not, the entire state of Illinois is east of the geographic center of population in the US.
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 12, 2025, 10:15:09 AMQuote from: Roadgeekteen on January 11, 2025, 01:47:45 PMDeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.
No it's not, the entire state of Illinois is east of the geographic center of population in the US.
Again, it's east of the *mean* center of population...not the *median* center.
The difference is that the mean is weighted by distance - it's where the country is perfectly balanced. That's the one in Missouri
The median center is where the east/west and north/south lines meet with an equal number living in each quadrant. That's in southern Indiana - DeKalb lies west of there.
How dare all of you imply that Illinois isn't the center of anything.
NIU going back to the old days of the Big West conference.
I don't like the move cause I agree, conferences these days are a joke. But at least this isn't Stanford/Cal in the ATLANTIC coastal conference. There is some history with the old Big West for NIU during the 90s. Plus NIU should get better funding from the MW for the program.
Quote from: ET21 on January 12, 2025, 02:03:18 PMNIU going back to the old days of the Big West conference.
I don't like the move cause I agree, conferences these days are a joke. But at least this isn't Stanford/Cal in the ATLANTIC coastal conference. There is some history with the old Big West for NIU during the 90s. Plus NIU should get better funding from the MW for the program.
Northern thinks the move will also improve home game Gate revenue.
The big driver is getting rid of the MACtion weeknight games. NIU knows much of the alumni and fan base is in Chicagoland, and weeknight games in DeKalb aren't that attractive when you have to be at work the next morning. There is even a youtube video out there that breaks the numbers down pretty well: https://youtu.be/21Jb9maWli4?si=bnmWZP3DM7MHrIaa
The Mountain West's TV partner also gains a program with a draw to the #3 media market in the country AND another TV window for games, with the ability to have a 12 noon eastern/11 am central/9 am pacific kickoff when NIU is hosting a game. Both of those can help in future MWC TV deal negotiations
Quote from: ilpt4u on January 12, 2025, 09:47:56 PMQuote from: ET21 on January 12, 2025, 02:03:18 PMNIU going back to the old days of the Big West conference.
I don't like the move cause I agree, conferences these days are a joke. But at least this isn't Stanford/Cal in the ATLANTIC coastal conference. There is some history with the old Big West for NIU during the 90s. Plus NIU should get better funding from the MW for the program.
Northern thinks the move will also improve home game Gate revenue.
The big driver is getting rid of the MACtion weeknight games. NIU knows much of the alumni and fan base is in Chicagoland, and weeknight games in DeKalb aren't that attractive when you have to be at work the next morning. There is even a youtube video out there that breaks the numbers down pretty well: https://youtu.be/21Jb9maWli4?si=bnmWZP3DM7MHrIaa
The Mountain West's TV partner also gains a program with a draw to the #3 media market in the country AND another TV window for games, with the ability to have a 12 noon eastern/11 am central/9 am pacific kickoff when NIU is hosting a game. Both of those can help in future MWC TV deal negotiations
Even as a student I never was able to go to the games most of the time. I was able to maybe once a season. Wish they were Friday night lights vs Tuesday or Wednesday
This wasn't meant to be a sports topic, it was meant to be a "pile on a banned user" topic. :-D :-D :-D
Quote from: hbelkins on January 13, 2025, 02:46:25 PMThis wasn't meant to be a sports topic, it was meant to be a "pile on a banned user" topic. :-D :-D :-D
I mean, the Jimmy Carter death thread evolved into a "fuck the cops" thread, so... :bigass:
Quote from: DTComposer on January 11, 2025, 03:09:17 PMQuote from: epzik8 on January 11, 2025, 09:12:22 AMNCAA's conferences are an absolute joke at this point in terms of geography.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on January 11, 2025, 01:47:45 PMDeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.
Remember when the NFC West was San Francisco and...St. Louis, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Carolina??
Much less the NFC East being NY Giants, Philadelphia, Washington and
Dallas???
Quote from: SSOWorld on January 13, 2025, 08:19:25 PMQuote from: DTComposer on January 11, 2025, 03:09:17 PMQuote from: epzik8 on January 11, 2025, 09:12:22 AMNCAA's conferences are an absolute joke at this point in terms of geography.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on January 11, 2025, 01:47:45 PMDeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.
Remember when the NFC West was San Francisco and...St. Louis, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Carolina??
Much less the NFC East being NY Giants, Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas???
and Arizona prior to 2002.
Cardinals being in the NFC East was a long lasting relic of they and the Bears both being in Chicago since the league's early years. Bears were in the old Western Conference and Cardinals were in the old Eastern Conference. After the merger and then more divisions added as more teams added, in addition to the Cardinals moving from Chicago to St Louis and eventually the Phoenix area, the Cardinals stayed in the East until the move from 6 to 8 divisions, and the "new" NFC West
In many ways, the NFC South is more the direct successor to the old NFC West than the current NFC West is. The current NFC West is comprised of 2 legacy West teams, a legacy East team, and a legacy AFC West team. The NFC South is comprised of 3 legacy West teams and 1 legacy Central/North team
Quote from: SSOWorld on January 13, 2025, 08:19:25 PMQuote from: DTComposer on January 11, 2025, 03:09:17 PMQuote from: epzik8 on January 11, 2025, 09:12:22 AMNCAA's conferences are an absolute joke at this point in terms of geography.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on January 11, 2025, 01:47:45 PMDeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.
Remember when the NFC West was San Francisco and...St. Louis, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Carolina??
Much less the NFC East being NY Giants, Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas???
My nephew is convinced that Carolina and Dallas should switch divisions. I think Dallas is in the east simply because of the rivalries with the Giants, Eagles and whatever the hell Washington wants to call their team.
The issues around NFL divisions date way back to the early 1950s, when the Dallas Texans more or less moved to Baltimore to become the Colts. They kept the Colts in the Western Conference at the time because no other team wanted to move West, and the league wanted the Bears and Chicago Cardinals in separate conferences.
The Cowboys were then added and placed in the West, but when they added the Vikings the next year, they moved the Cowboys to the East so Minnesota could play regional games against the Packers and Bears.
When they added the Falcons they put them in the East, but when the Saints were added next year, they placed them in the East and moved the Falcons to the West. They didn't want to move Dallas to the West, because that would have placed the two best teams (Cowboys and Packers) in the same conference. Had they moved them, we wouldn't have had the Ice Bowl.
So these odd divisions have a long past. And that's part of the charm actually.
Well, if Da YooPee had a ski hill with a 1 km vertical drop . . .
But then again, what are all of those other (schools) doing in the Big Whateveritsnumberisnow conference?
< sigh . . . >
Mike
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 10, 2025, 03:24:42 PMI love skiing on Mount Illinois. Completely superior experience I've found to anything Wisconsin has to offer.
To be fair, we do have "ski hills" in northern Illinois. Closest one to Chicago is Villa Olivia in Elgin.
But Wisconsin is far superior with the ski slopes such as Cascade Mountain, Rib Mountain and Tyrol Basin all within a few hours drive.
I have an early childhood memory of riding up the ski lift and going down the alpine slide (summer luge) at Chestnut Mountain Resort near Galena, IL. I distinctly remember my father coming around a bend with too much momentum and flying out over the side of the chute and onto the ground.
Quote from: SSOWorld on January 13, 2025, 08:19:25 PMQuote from: DTComposer on January 11, 2025, 03:09:17 PMQuote from: epzik8 on January 11, 2025, 09:12:22 AMNCAA's conferences are an absolute joke at this point in terms of geography.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on January 11, 2025, 01:47:45 PMDeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.
Remember when the NFC West was San Francisco and...St. Louis, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Carolina??
Much less the NFC East being NY Giants, Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas???
And imagine if they have continued that practice today, you can be sure to hear J. Jonah Jameson laughing. ;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhckuhUxcgA
Quote from: Stephane Dumas on January 17, 2025, 01:27:41 PMQuote from: SSOWorld on January 13, 2025, 08:19:25 PMQuote from: DTComposer on January 11, 2025, 03:09:17 PMQuote from: epzik8 on January 11, 2025, 09:12:22 AMNCAA's conferences are an absolute joke at this point in terms of geography.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on January 11, 2025, 01:47:45 PMDeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.
Remember when the NFC West was San Francisco and...St. Louis, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Carolina??
Much less the NFC East being NY Giants, Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas???
And imagine if they have continued that practice today, you can be sure to hear J. Jonah Jameson laughing. ;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhckuhUxcgA
Only JK Simmons can do J Jonah Jameson! :sombrero:
Quote from: hobsini2 on January 17, 2025, 03:21:49 PMQuote from: Stephane Dumas on January 17, 2025, 01:27:41 PMQuote from: SSOWorld on January 13, 2025, 08:19:25 PMQuote from: DTComposer on January 11, 2025, 03:09:17 PMQuote from: epzik8 on January 11, 2025, 09:12:22 AMNCAA's conferences are an absolute joke at this point in terms of geography.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on January 11, 2025, 01:47:45 PMDeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.
Remember when the NFC West was San Francisco and...St. Louis, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Carolina??
Much less the NFC East being NY Giants, Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas???
And imagine if they have continued that practice today, you can be sure to hear J. Jonah Jameson laughing. ;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhckuhUxcgA
Only JK Simmons can do J Jonah Jameson! :sombrero:
Crash_It is a menace!
Quote from: SSOWorld on January 13, 2025, 08:19:25 PMQuote from: DTComposer on January 11, 2025, 03:09:17 PMQuote from: epzik8 on January 11, 2025, 09:12:22 AMNCAA's conferences are an absolute joke at this point in terms of geography.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on January 11, 2025, 01:47:45 PMDeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.
Remember when the NFC West was San Francisco and...St. Louis, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Carolina??
Much less the NFC East being NY Giants, Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas???
When the NFL was determining realignments, they were put in a position where the rivalry between Dallas and NYG, WAS and PHI was so strong that there was agreement to keep them in the NFC East. Other than the notable distinction of the Cowboys not being anywhere near the other teams, no one has ever appeared to mind them remaining in the Division.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on January 17, 2025, 04:02:07 PMQuote from: SSOWorld on January 13, 2025, 08:19:25 PMQuote from: DTComposer on January 11, 2025, 03:09:17 PMQuote from: epzik8 on January 11, 2025, 09:12:22 AMNCAA's conferences are an absolute joke at this point in terms of geography.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on January 11, 2025, 01:47:45 PMDeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.
Remember when the NFC West was San Francisco and...St. Louis, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Carolina??
Much less the NFC East being NY Giants, Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas???
When the NFL was determining realignments, they were put in a position where the rivalry between Dallas and NYG, WAS and PHI was so strong that there was agreement to keep them in the NFC East. Other than the notable distinction of the Cowboys not being anywhere near the other teams, no one has ever appeared to mind them remaining in the Division.
Right. As I said earlier there was historical context to how they even got into the East. And no one minded that they stayed there. It's the same reason the Dolphins were kept in the AFC East, when it would have made more sense to put the Ravens in the East and Colts in the North.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on January 17, 2025, 04:02:07 PMQuote from: SSOWorld on January 13, 2025, 08:19:25 PMQuote from: DTComposer on January 11, 2025, 03:09:17 PMQuote from: epzik8 on January 11, 2025, 09:12:22 AMNCAA's conferences are an absolute joke at this point in terms of geography.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on January 11, 2025, 01:47:45 PMDeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.
Remember when the NFC West was San Francisco and...St. Louis, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Carolina??
Much less the NFC East being NY Giants, Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas???
When the NFL was determining realignments, they were put in a position where the rivalry between Dallas and NYG, WAS and PHI was so strong that there was agreement to keep them in the NFC East. Other than the notable distinction of the Cowboys not being anywhere near the other teams, no one has ever appeared to mind them remaining in the Division.
Well, now Dallas has some catching up to do, they are now the team in the division that has the longest drought since last making the NFC championship game.
Quote from: SSOWorld on January 19, 2025, 08:10:51 AMQuote from: jeffandnicole on January 17, 2025, 04:02:07 PMQuote from: SSOWorld on January 13, 2025, 08:19:25 PMQuote from: DTComposer on January 11, 2025, 03:09:17 PMQuote from: epzik8 on January 11, 2025, 09:12:22 AMNCAA's conferences are an absolute joke at this point in terms of geography.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on January 11, 2025, 01:47:45 PMDeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.
Remember when the NFC West was San Francisco and...St. Louis, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Carolina??
Much less the NFC East being NY Giants, Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas???
When the NFL was determining realignments, they were put in a position where the rivalry between Dallas and NYG, WAS and PHI was so strong that there was agreement to keep them in the NFC East. Other than the notable distinction of the Cowboys not being anywhere near the other teams, no one has ever appeared to mind them remaining in the Division.
Well, now Dallas has some catching up to do, they are now the team in the division that has the longest drought since last making the NFC championship game.
All is right in the world with that.