Lehigh Football Nation

I'm  not as big a Lord of the Rings geek as Stephen Colbert is, but I know enough about Middle Earth to make a metaphor or two. And after the Patriot League Council of Presidents locked themselves in a room for a couple days to make a decision and made... no decision... my mind cannot shoo away a vision of the Ents from the legendary trilogy. I keep having this vision in my head from the movie The Two Towers , with the Ents gathered with Merry and Pippin , who are desperately trying to impart on the tree people the importance of getting the Ents to battle Saruman and his army to save Middle Earth. The Ents talked... and talked... and talked... and finally said, with Merry and Pippin waiting for their answer with baited breath: "I have told your names to the Entmoot, and we have agreed you are not orcs." (more)

Excerpt from The Morning Call : November 18th, 2012 Special to the Morning Call It was a scene that few could have predicted two years ago: the end of "The Rivalry", after 148 meetings. While the 63-13 victory by the Mountain Hawks was not totally unexpected - after all, Lehigh has already ramped up their scholarships to the NCAA-mandated maximum, while Lafayette chose to remain true to the ideals of the now-defunct Patriot League - you get the feeling that it didn't have to end in this way. Lafayette's facilities - still the best in the Patriot League in 2012, thanks to the Bourgers - saw more than just the final Patriot League game, and the final game in Lehigh's and Lafayette's season. They saw the sad, final chapter to one of the greatest rivalries in all sports. (more)

The day that Patriot League watchers have been waiting for is nearly upon us. Whether you think merit-based aid for the Patriot League in football is a good idea or not, the Patriot League presidents are getting together in the Lehigh Valley this week to discuss the possibility of allowing athletic aid for football that is not based entirely on need - in layman's terms, to allow the same sort of unrestricted athletic aid that is offered in a multitude of different Patriot League sports, from men's and women's basketball to softball. It's quite possible that today, the Patriot League will vote on the matter, with a possible press conference to announce the decision today, or in the next few days. Before they announce the results, let me offer my own analysis of the situation. (more)