Nothing new today: obviously there were some notable announcements late last week, but the signal-to-noise ratio was low and so I've got a few queries outstanding.
Regarding the National Guard sponsorship, which seems like a real breakthrough, I'm specifically interested to know how the program works. Some of you also may have noticed the union's web site says details are 'coming soon.'
I took note of some interesting playoff results east of the Mississippi this weekend, especially as well as Kutztown's upset of Navy, the Pennsylvania school being very near my hometown and the alma mater of several high school friends.
By the by, this note from a recent edition of Pelican's Beak: 'Of people who voluntarily emigrate from any country to any other, and there are more than 200 countries, about 90 percent move to the United States of America.' The American rugby community is of course accustomed to immigrants, but this is an astounding figure. If accurate, it undermines the idea that our society is somehow xenophobic, since nobody else has anything like the same depth of experience.
The new USA rugby website is an absolute tragedy ... any website which does not display a distinct url for the page you are on (no matter what page you ar eon the address is usarugby.org) is just self defeating its purpose of communication - everytime i need to send someone to a specific place on the site i need to give directions to get their instead of being able to cut and paste a direct link ..... EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING ...
Now back to the topic at hand, the email distributed had 2 links in it - 1 which was for more information which was the dead end .... the other was in the sentence: You can access applications for this program by clicking here! , where the clicking here link's source is http://echo.bluehornet.com/ct/2186240:1123152718:m:1:29553965:BA7EBBDA1E31A67134F0D8E0B80814A4 - this link lists the goods the national guard will be providing to 300 teams
if they are giving each team everything on that list, it has to be at least $500K and maybe closer to $1M in equipment
Thats not too bad, and a pretty good place for the money to go.
Posted by: rags | 05 November 2007 at 12:09
I hope USAR can meet the demands and expectations of this very ambitious sponsorship agreement.
If they can, it will indeed be a huge breakthough on the sponsorship front.
Promising a sponsor the ability to drill down not to the individual member but down to the grassroots organization seems to be a bit of a risk. If it works, it will open a whole new type of marketing revenue stream for USAR.
Posted by: Marty Bradley | 05 November 2007 at 14:11
We need some details before we can even comment on this sponsorship. If 300 teams are going to receive full club kit it will be fantastic.
On the other hand if this turns into a 22 shirts if you wear their branding, requiring the teams to purchase the rest of the branded kit to match their uniforms then shame on usar for the tease. Why is it so hard to just make one announcement with an overview of the details.
Who is the manufacturer and what do they get in return, more questions than answers.
Posted by: cw | 05 November 2007 at 14:46
More importantly what does the National Guard really want from this sponsorship? Based on reports that the USA military is desperate for recruits, including the NG, this sponsorship appears to be a tactic to market the NG to college age kids and get them enlisted in the NG or other armed service branches. That is fine, but it may be fraught with negative implications for USA Rugby when the country is currently at war.
Posted by: TJ | 05 November 2007 at 15:18
Chuck Norris says - hey TJ, don't get your knickers in a twist.
It is still a PRIVILEGE to serve your country, not a RIGHT.
Yes my man, you have to QUALIFY to serve, even if you want to.
Chuck thinks this sponsorship deal is great.
And just a bit classier than the "Gangsta Rap" sponsorship Arnot masterfully negotiated a few years back with Rockafella Records.
Yeah...misogynistic, drug-dealing, criminal promoting industry sponsorship.
Versus...the United States Army National Guard?
Get a life dude.
Posted by: Chuck Norris | 05 November 2007 at 20:08
Put your confederate flag away Chuck, you sound more like a racist than a patriot.
My feeling is that when you get into a sponsorship deal with someone you need to know their motives and expectations. I am not sure that the National Guard's intent from this sponsorship fits with the ethos of rugby, collegiate or club.
The Army is desperate and this month it is launching the Army Advantage Fund, which offers recruits $45,000 toward buying a house or new business upon completion of their military stint. At the same time, the Army is hoping to sign up at least 2,000 recruits over the next year into Active First, a new program that allows enlistees to start their service on active duty and complete it in the National Guard. These are unprecedented incentives to get and keep people in the armed forces.
Last week, Lt. Gen. Michael Rochelle, deputy chief of staff for personnel, said the Army will continue to rely on the unpopular "stop-loss" program that requires some soldiers to stay with their unit beyond their retirement or re-enlistment dates. Earlier this month, Army leaders reported that for the fifth straight year they gave more waivers to recruits with criminal histories and medical issues, and that fewer than 80 percent of new enlistees had a high school diploma. Again, unprecedented measures to keep people serving beyond their term, and reductions in standards to recruit individuals.
The idea that USA Rugby is going to be the benefactor for exposing our college kids to the Army's recruiting machine, which is going to dangle money in front of them to send them to war with criminals and HS dropouts, is less than noble.
It will be interesting to see what schools get the "FREE National Guard Kits", and I doubt it will be private schools or schools with excellent graduation percentages. I expect to see state schools with a large percentage of kids from lower income families to be the majority of the 300 colleges that get the National Guard Kits, which should be fertile ground.
Didn't USA Rugby just issue the following mission statement? “We believe that rugby will be the best experience in American sports. We believe in delighting and creating value for our members. We believe rugby has something for everyone and that anyone can play. We believe in lifelong camaraderie beyond the game. We believe that our greatest assets are our players. We believe in developing peak performance at all levels of the game. We believe in owning our performance.” What part of that says anything about being exposed to getting recruited to go to war?
Posted by: TJ | 05 November 2007 at 21:10
I second the motion that TJ needs to get a life.
How dare you suggest that our Armed Forces are filled "with criminals and HS dropouts". You are a pathetic little punk.
This sponsorship is one of the best things to happen in USA Rugby, maybe ever.
These college students that you pine so much for are in control of their own lives, if they sign up to serve our country, I doubt it will be because the National Guard put it's logo on their t-shirt or rucking pad. Give the student some credit.
Please, don't use this website to spout your stupid liberal propaganda.
Out of respect for Kurt's site, I won't say the rest of what I'm thinking.
Posted by: Old Beaver | 05 November 2007 at 23:14
I didn't suggest it, the Army reported that for the fifth straight year they gave more waivers to recruits with criminal histories and medical issues, and that fewer than 80 percent of new enlistees had a high school diploma. It is a fact, and that is why USA Rugby's college base of members looks so attractive to the National Guard.
If you think that the National Guard is sponsoring rugby because....uhh....they like rugby, you are an idiot. They see it as a way to recruit new soldiers that at least have a HS diploma.
I am not a liberal, I am a libertarian and if you think it is good that USA Rugby benefits by exploiting its membership rich with college students - who pay 20 bucks per month to be a member - then you are a cynical man.
If you love your country so much, send some of your young beavers to armed services and push for a mandatory draft. Don't praise a sponsorship deal that exploits USA Rugby's young members.
Posted by: tj | 05 November 2007 at 23:33
I think that the military and Rugby go hand in hand. The chinese army is making it it's official sport and you only have to look at the proud history of the US military colleges and their rugby teams to see the link. Indeed, the west point endowment shows how serious the military is about the game.
My favourite rugby experiences have been shared with military teams and my most enjoyable playing experience was playing for the presidents xv at Saranac. The game stands for mutual responsibility, not letting anyone down and leadership from all. Shared traits of most armies I would imagine
Posted by: geraint.hill@roberthalf.co.uk | 06 November 2007 at 05:37
Until our USA Rugby tells us what they have sold, for what in return, we won't know will we?
It always feels like we are being sold to.
The elections are over. A board was picked for life, the old board thrown out on their head. Just tell us the truth. We are members of an organization to which we have no rights, not even to basic information.
Remember the much celebrated Sony sponsorship that turned out to be a one year, low dollar figure deal. Where Sony got their name on the front of the shirt like we were in a fire sale. Joe's Pizza might be interested at that going out of business price.
It will be very interesting to see where this goes. When we get fully informed this will tell us much about the new board and Melville's team in boulder.
We should keep our figures crossed that this is a solid deal, with full kit for the 300 teams and money for the title sponsorship we gave them according to the vague release. Something still tells me we are being sold to.
I am ready for the next release to have some of that Doug Arnot math, which explains the deal to be a multi-million dollar agreement, with the fact that there is no cash to it and the term glossed over. I'm still trying to adjust to the release which promises FREE kit for 300 teams with no details. USA Rugby, if you can state this in a release you can explain it!
Posted by: FredR | 06 November 2007 at 08:20
Chuck Norris says - don't worry, TJ, all those poor "exploited" college aged "kids" still have to WANT to volunteer, pass the ASVAB, pass a physical, pass Boot Camp, pass AIT, finish MOS schools, complete advanced training, and if their MOS (which they choose and enter only if they can) is Combat Arms or Combat Support, THEN they get to kill bad guys!...
...so that you can continue to safely spout off anything you want via email, call others racists, idiots and chickenhawks, and continue to be concerned for "our" college aged "kids".
Stop digging, TJ.
Chuck OUT!
Posted by: Chuck Norris | 06 November 2007 at 15:04
Chuck Norris and Old Beaver!! You're good people.
TJ move to Canada, please.
Posted by: oregonbobby | 06 November 2007 at 15:27
Armed Forces and Rugby seem to go hand in hand;
http://www.rugbyrugby.com/technical/tom_billups/story_51107185304.php
Posted by: Mook | 06 November 2007 at 17:02
The rugby, and beer, is better in Canada, so that isn't a bad idea.
Posted by: TJ | 06 November 2007 at 17:11
Bye, Bye, TJ
Posted by: Phil | 07 November 2007 at 11:16
TJ - Unless you’ve been on the 2 way shooting range, I suggest you keep your anti war/political crap to yourself. If the bloody polititions had left these wars to the military, they'ed be over by now. And it wouldn't be costing us TRILLIONS of tax payers dollars, let alone needless lives.
Get a farken beer sponsor man! (USAR) Think about it – how many clubs train on a Thursday night, and occasionally meet for a beer afterwards. What happens after the final whistle on Saturdays? Most meet and have the aftermatch, we often have a beer.
Overseas clubrooms make money by selling – BEER. The major sponsors are breweries. That’s where the money comes from – why can’t ya see it.
Posted by: Nig Heke | 08 November 2007 at 19:11
For the purpose of analysis lets look at it in order shall we TJ, I mean TJ is Tim,
1) the All Americans didn't get anymore USA Rugby money, because the IRB didn't for whatever reason recognize the program. This left everyone else from the Eagles, to NA4, to age grade, & to even start-up Academies all eating IRB funding pie, and you didn't have "a seat at the table".
2) Using both your Aliases you started posting on gainline about how everything in Boulder was messed up, from minimally raised CIPP dues, to why the Eagles should win with all the extra money they have now. Your agenda was clear posting how college rugby would produce the players for the 2011 World Cup, as your leverage for more money. You are well known for biting the hand that feeds you.
3) Lashing out at anything and everything, you were critical of Nigel Melville for not having the foresight to look past this 2007 world cup, and build a team for the 16 team qualifying process 3 years from now. A World Cup format that still has not been finalized yet. But you didn’t miss the opportunity at the time to sink the boot in.
4) Ironically, when USA Rugby did try get a sponsor that could help college rugby and the All Americans, you have to stand in the team photo along side the players wearing the National Guard jerseys. Clearly your "tackle bags for body bags" comment shows how you really feel. Put that team photo on your wall and frame it.
5) Then TJ, Tim (one in the same) referenced “watching both semi-finals at the World Cup, on route to Berlin and back for the World Cup final”.
All sounds very familiar doesn’t it. (You have to love copy & paste it’s so accurate) .
This was TJ’s only post while at the World Cup - get a life.
After you took time out from your European vacation to rebut Chris Hopps postings, we took time out to call your work and Russ confirmed you were in France. Thanks Russ.
5) Boulder does have a problem with communication.
The problem is, or should I say WAS, your constant leaking, inside knowledge out, through this blog site as TJ, I mean TJ is Tim.
6) By now even those of us in a backward part of the country, who have never left the country, and have the Taco Bell menu memorized, also have a memory for detail and analysis enough to work out who you are, and serve you an elitist, condescending 64oz refillable soda cup of a flavor we call “laughing at you for a while now” TJ is Tim.
Posted by: TJ is Tim is Tin O'Ryan | 09 November 2007 at 08:31
I am glad those 64 ounces of Mountain Dew keep you working hard at Columbo Community College.
Posted by: tj | 09 November 2007 at 10:02
It is terrific that US collegiate sides are finally receiving a massive sponsor. USA rugby's future does rest with the success of the college programs. And if 200 plus colleges can get suitable funding (as opposed to the couple dozen that currently have adequate funds) much more high quality talent can reach the mens' sides.
Although I wouldn't say that Rugby and Military go hand in hand. Yes, parallels to the military can be found in Rugby, like all team sports, but rugby shouldn't be viewed as a thing for grunts. It should be viewed as a sport demanding strength, stamina, speed, and a sharp intuitive mind.
The drawbacks of the National Guard Sponshorship could be the image portrayed of Rugby here in the U.S. We don't want high quality athletes turned off of it because they think they would be joining a sport composed of a bunch of people who only play the game because it resembles war and/or a military lifestlye (which of course it does not).
How many people really want to spend time with people who tell you not to discuss a major national situation "unless they've been in a two way shooting match". I'm not trying to bring political discussions into rugby, I'm saying keep them out.
There's nothing wrong with the National Guard giving recruiting videos to the college kids, they can join or not. There WILL be a problem if people decide not join collegiate sides because they are constantly pestered by recruiters.
I have nothing against the military, I picked up rugby as a military brat stationed in Africa, and I highly doubt most college kids are opposed to the military. But, access to rugby for many young athletes is through their collegiate sides, and having access to a sport intertwined with the military can turn people off it.
Please allow me to question USA rugby's choice of sponsor without having to get into a stupid who's more patriotic contest, like the one's we see on cable news.
Many people's strong reactions on both sides of this issue so far could be a sign that this generous sponsorship may have a drastic downside.
Posted by: expatrugby | 09 November 2007 at 16:35
expatrugby is TJ who is Tim.
STOP THIS NOW!
Posted by: Old Beaver | 11 November 2007 at 17:04
I have no clue who is TJ or is Tim.
I am just another american rugger (fan only now). Not every rugby player or fan thinks in black and white.
I view this site alot to see what's going on in rugby in the US.
Got irritated at some comments posted on this article.
I am wary but happy with the new US sponsorship, but really hate to see a bunch people misrepresent rugby. I figured I'd chime in to express my opinion about whether or not this sponsorship is good for U.S. rugby. Not to get into a hippie v. hawk (which has nothing to do with rugby) type of discussion which is where it was heading
Posted by: expatrugby | 11 November 2007 at 18:49
I agree with Old Beaver
Tim et al,
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again (under a different username, to put multiple postings on a blog site, so it looks like someone supports you).
Next time you post "Tackle Bags for Body Bags" comments, remember only these users will agree with you:
- Tim No ’ Brien
- T J O ’ Bryann
- expatrugby
Posted by: Multiple Names | 12 November 2007 at 08:50
Let's keep our college teams in NG kits by signing this online petition against the draft - http://www.petitiononline.com/wrrc/petition.html
With the drumbeats of war with Iran in the distance and the chance this law will keep our college teams from getting NG kits, now is the time!!!
Come on RED STATE ruggers! I know you support the war, Bush and want to send your kid into the armed services, but let's keep our college teams in NG kits.
"If Draft Starts Today, No Kits to Play!"
Posted by: tj | 12 November 2007 at 10:24
"expatrugby is TJ who is Tim.
STOP THIS NOW!"
I DIDN'T POST THAT. DON'T BE A DICK, COME UP WITH YOUR OWN HANDLE!
TJ is still wrong, wrong, wrong.
Posted by: the real Old Beaver | 12 November 2007 at 13:08
I am completely lost. I guess some of you guys really are STUPID and childish.
I would be happy to post my info to let you know that I am not tj or whoever he is(he looks to me like cindy sheehan's cousin), but based on a message I saw above one of you guys was so paethotic that he actually called a guy's work up.
anyways, I will post in the article about the singapore sevens because i would like to know more about the results of the tournament.
Posted by: expatrugby | 12 November 2007 at 15:43
I think that right about now – TJ O’Cryin, is getting the sideways look from his superiors at USAR. Who BTW read this blog.
The old, mole in the hole trick. Waiting in the shadows, to spill any discredit he can, in order to gain personal favor or advancement. Ray Blamer and Tim O’Cryin as the next Eagles coaches – what a cute Old Blues combo that would be! And in one foul sweep we can get back to the old days of dominance without anyone knowing what happened.
Confucius say: Rugby Coach who tells tails out of school, sucki sucki real good.
Posted by: Nig Heke | 13 November 2007 at 07:11
If TJ is Tim, who is a college coach, why is TJ so against a national college rugby championship and the concept of varsity rugby being the path forward for high performance players?
Posted by: question | 13 November 2007 at 09:29
The answers are in paragraph 1 & 4 of the earlier post in this thread by "TJ is Tim is Tin O'Ryan"
Posted by: answer | 13 November 2007 at 09:41
I read the post saying that I am Tim, and one thing struck me as odd.
"This was TJ’s only post while at the World Cup - get a life."
Attending the world cup semi-finals and finals as a guest of the FFR seems like a life to me.
Posted by: TJ | 13 November 2007 at 11:09
TJ, and the French. Who gave who the white flag first. Or was is a mutual white flag exchange?
Posted by: FFR | 14 November 2007 at 09:53
Your main man Bush is friends with the French now, so you are going to have to change your tact. Didn't you get the memo from Bill-O or Rush? Or are you still ordering "Freedom Frys" on your twice daily trips to McDonalds? Oh yeah, wine doesn't come out of a box either.
Posted by: TJ | 14 November 2007 at 10:18
I am not Tim, so you can stop that nonsense. I made a simple post that the NG sponsorship could have negative implications for USA Rugby, and Chuck Norris jumped all over it like I said something treasonous to the country.
I replied by articulating my points and further attacks spewed forth from the readers of this blog. So I escalated my point with further argument and analysis, and received more stupid replies. The facts are obvious, this blog represents a rugby demographic that is very average. Go to any rugby tournament and look at all those 40 year old fat guys wearing "Give Blood; Play Rugby" t-shirts and drinking beer like a frat boy, and there you have the typical gainline.us reader and poster. I should have known better than to have an online discussion with that lot.
However, it is fun to f*&k with your retards!
Posted by: TJ | 14 November 2007 at 12:47
TJ Tim No'Bry-anne, it was your "premature evaluation" problem that started this off.
Then TJ Tim NO 'Brien got caught-out for using multiple names on Gainline, promoting his political views & agenda. His "Tackle bags for Body bags" & "If Draft Starts Today, No Kits to Play!" comments were one “64oz refillable soda cup” to arrogant to those of us in "backward parts of the country".
Stay tuned, any time now, perhaps we’ll expect a train wreck story come out of St Marys or the All Americans, about a multiple username blogger, with middle initial “J”, a mid-size farm animal and a sweaty truck-stop hooker.
Posted by: retards & simpletons made a goat of TJ/Tim | 14 November 2007 at 12:59
i enlisted into the national guard about a month ago and i was misled into it because my recruiter told me he was putting me into active first program thats why i joined. So now i am wondering and praying that i can get my contract changed so that i can go active duty. someone please help me!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: bryan wesley | 28 November 2007 at 11:35
Wonderful article, thanks for putting this together! I'm very happy to leave my comment here, and hope that your blog will become more and more color!
Posted by: coach suitcase | 04 June 2010 at 02:49