Long time, no see!!

I suppose a lot of you have been wondering where the newsletter was atthe
end of the playoffs last year.  I have some explanations.

I sent off the I-AA PREVIEW for the first week of the playoffs.  The next
week, I had a software crash of tremendous proportions.  You might remember
that during the regular season I had some problems, it was more of the same.

Many of you may not know that I am also a Ph.D. student here at THE Ohio
State University.  As it happened, I was in the middle of a major portion
of collecting data for my dissertation and did not have the time to figure
out the software bug, or to correct it.

It turns out that the campus upgraded their software.  I didn't know, I
never received a message to inform me of this.  Whatever.  I needed to
upgrade, and upgrade I have.

The mailing list is intact.  I have every hope of continuing the newsletter
for next season.  My dissertation should be done sometime this quarter
(we're still on a quarter system at tOSTU), and I don't know where I am
going to be at, but I intend to keep the newsletter going.

Why?  Because it is something that still interests me, something that still
has a lot of interest, and something that still has a purpose.  I-AA is
doggone good football, doggone it, yet to get synopsis, to get analysis, to
get prognostication (even from me, and that's not very good) is still a
difficult process.

My comment on last years championship game, brief and perhaps insufficient:

Definitely a defensive struggle, one of those games thats lots of fun to
watch.  I think either team could have won it.  Youngstown did, and their
claim of being team of the 90's is back in force (this is number four in
five tries). For McNeese, it was a heatbreaker, but definitely something to
build on, and the Loosyana Cowpokes will be back.

There was so much that I could have commented on -- Delaware's run, and
Marshall's success as I-A freshman (together with Randy Moss's
superlatives), and tons more, but I missed the chance because of the
software prolblem.  For that I apologize, and I hope to have a more stable
software base next season.  Many of you have looked for the newsletter and
have not been able to find it, and have sent me emails about this.  Here's
to better luck next season.

Meanwhile, here's to I-AA, and to everyone who has written me a letter
asking me where the newletter was.  God bless you all, keep I-AA strong!!

Look for the newsletter as always in mid-August when I call the roll.

Meanwhile, if you are a praying person, put a good word in for my
dissertation defense.  Thanks!!!

--PDunn