Bowl Picks Update, Day 6

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Bacon

Last night featured a contest between Missouri and UNC. This one was never really close as Missouri pulled away from the Tarheels early and never looked back. I had picked the Tigers to win this match up, but I certainly thought it would be a closer game.

A little more movement today including our leader taking her first loss.

The Office Crew:
Bacon: 6-2
Rebecca: 6-2
Rambo: 5-3

The Rest:
1st place: 7-1 - Caitlin Weed, Dill, Trip, Kelsey Weed, Aaron Sims
2nd place: 6-2 - Cricket, T-Bone, Bubbles, Pretzel, Susan James, Steve James, Paige Fierbaugh, Nike, Will Miller, Cass Waddell, Mary Katherine Lloyd, Michael Humphrey, Dennis McElhaney, Sharon Latimer, Kirsten Weed, John Lloyd, Becky Martin, David Martin, Snaps
3rd place: 5-3 - Kristine Zemen, James Knight, Jacob Bottomley, Charlie Flint, Willow, Madison Tart, Pistol, Ryan Esping, Erin Esping, Sarah Jane Collins, Kim Halder, Robin Dent, Chris Earnest, Austin Martin, Baylor Rainbow

Notables: Nurse Jenny likes the ACC. This might pose a problem.

Today / tonight’s games feature Western Michigan vs. Purdue in the Pizza Bowl, followed by Louisville vs. NC State in the Belk Bowl. We should see another day of decent movement in our contest as both of these games were pretty much a split in our selections. Check in tomorrow to see if you moved up in the rankings!

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Bowl Picks Update, Day 5

Posted on December 25, 2011 by Bacon

Only one game last night for those of you who might have had a chance to watch it. Personally, I was too busy stuffing my belly with some tasty treats whipped up right here in the Strong Rock kitchen. I did check in on the score once in a while and thought that we all might be in for a loss as Nevada came to play and really tested Southern Miss. In the end, the Golden Eagles found a way to soar past the Wolfpack and bring home the trophy from Hawaii.

Once again, not much movement in our contest as almost all of us picked this game correctly. Things will shake up over the next week, so keep tuning in to see how you fare. Here are the updated records for you:

The Office Crew:
Bacon: 5-2
Rebecca: 5-2
Rambo: 4-3

The Rest:
1st place: 7-0 - Caitlin Weed (Still perfect)
2nd place: 6-1 - T-Bone, Pretzel, Dill, Trip, Cass Waddell, Kelsey Weed, Aaron Sims
3rd place: 5-2 - Kristine Zemen, Cricket, James Knight, Bubbles, Susan James, Steve James, Paige Fierbaugh, Nike, Will Miller, Mary Katherine Lloyd, Kim Halder, Michael Humphrey, Dennis McElhaney, Sharon Latimer, Kirsten Weed, John Lloyd, Becky Martin, David Martin, Snaps

Notables: Unfortunately we turn to Nurse Jenny again today.  She was one of the unfortunate souls that picked Nevada. Looks like she pulls for the ACC a lot too, so it could be a loooooong bowl season for her.

Next up, UNC versus Missouri. This could be a pretty competitive game as both teams are somewhat middle of the road this season. The Tarheels are still working to overcome the recent violations while Missouri has been so focused on switching conferences and dealing with distractions surrounding all of that. UNC arguably has somewhat of a home field advantage, playing just 2 hours from campus, but Missouri has plenty of experience in the post season, so that shouldn’t be too much of a factor. Looking across the picks from our contest, it looks like about 65% of us believe the Tigers will bruise the Tarheels.  Merry Christmas to all!!

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Bowl Picks Update, Day 4

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Bacon

Boise State scored on the first play of the game and never looked back as the Bronco’s beat the Sun Devils by 32 points. In his final game, Kellen Moore led his team to an easy victory, despite coughing up the ball a few times. Boise State showed their strength and arguably made a statement that they should have been in the Sugar Bowl. Personally, I agree. This team deserved a bigger game and a better challenge. The outcome may have been different against a top-tier team, but based on what I have seen, Boise State can play with almost anyone. On any given day, this bunch could probably beat 95% of the other schools out there this year.

Not much changed in relation to our standings as only 3 or 4 people in our contest picked against the Broncos.  Here are the updated records for you:

The Office Crew:
Bacon: 4-2
Rebecca: 4-2
Rambo: 3-3

The Rest:
1st place: 6-0 - Caitlin Weed (Still perfect)
2nd place: 5-1 - T-Bone, Pretzel, Dill, Trip, Cass Waddell, Kelsey Weed, Aaron Sims
3rd place: 4-2 - Kristine Zemen, Cricket, James Knight, Bubbles, Susan James, Steve James, Paige Fierbaugh, Nike, Will Miller, Mary Katherine Lloyd, Kim Halder, Michael Humphrey, Dennis McElhaney, Sharon Latimer, Kirsten Weed, John Lloyd, Becky Martin, David Martin, Snaps

Notables: I’m giving Pistol a break today since Nurse Jenny decided to join the contest.  She entered quite late, so she is technically 1-5, but since her first pick that counts was yesterday, I guess you could say she’s 1-0.

Next up, Southern Miss vs. Nevada. Take a look at these mascots and you have what looks to be a Strong Rock Tribal battle as the Golden Eagles take on the Wolfpack. Unfortunately, based on your picks, this could be another lopsided game.  Only 3 people in our entire contest placed their faith in Nevada.  Let’s see if Brett Favre’s alma mater can seal the deal.

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Bowl Picks Update, Day 3

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Bacon

TCU barely squeaks out the victory in what turned out to be a very close game. La Tech came ready to play and kept TCU on their heels for most of the night. The Horned Frogs never gave up, never quit, kept believing and eventually pulled ahead late in the 4th quarter to finish strong in their last game as a member of the Mountain West conference. Most of us picked this game correctly, so not much change in the leaderboard.

Here’s the office snapshot:

Bacon: 3-2
Rebecca: 3-2
Rambo: 2-3

Here are the leaders from the rest of the contestants:

1st place: 5-0 - Caitlin Weed (Still lonely)
2nd place: 4-1 - T-Bone, Pretzel, Dill, Trip, Cass Waddell, Kelsey Weed, Aaron Sims
3rd place: 3-2 - Kristine Zemen, Cricket, James Knight, Bubbles, Susan James, Steve James, Paige Fierbaugh, Nike, Will Miller, Mary Katherine Lloyd, Kim Halder, Michael Humphrey, Dennis McElhaney, Sharon Latimer, Kirsten Weed, John Lloyd, Becky Martin, David Martin, Snaps, Steve Lowry

Notables: 2-3 - Pistol is on a roll.  Two wins in a row!!  Nice turnaround.

Boise State and Kellen Moore head into a match-up tonight with Arizona State. Though Boise had their hopes set much higher as far as bowls go, I expect and hope QB Kellen Moore finishes his football career with a great game as a victory could place him at 50 career wins during his college career. No doubt, this guy is one of the best college QB’s that we will ever watch play. He’s not flashy and seems pretty humble, but finds a way to lead his team to victory week after week. Arizona State on the other hand started the season strong but ended it horribly, so it is hard to say how the Sun Devils will close out their season. They may come out fighting, ready to show the nation that they are a better team than their record states. Conversely, they may just want to put this nightmare end of the season to rest and hang up the pads for the year. If they show up ready to play, this could be a pretty good game. Otherwise, the Broncos could put a beating on ASU.

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Bowl Picks Roundup, Day 2

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Bacon

Upset Alert! Despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of us picked the FIU Panthers, it seemed like Marshall wanted it more last night as their defense really stepped it up to help lead them to victory. That unit recorded a huge blocked punt late in the fourth quarter to help seal the win. For most of us, that play set us back a bit in the contest, but a few of you guys had the upset pegged.

Here’s the office snapshot:

Bacon: 2-2
Rebecca: 2-2
Rambo: 1-3

Here are the leaders from the rest of the contestants:

1st place: 4-0 - Caitlin Weed (It’s lonely at the top)
2nd place: 3-1 - T-Bone, Pretzel, Dill, Trip, Cass Waddell, Kelsey Weed, Dennis McElhaney, Aaron Sims, Steve Lowry
3rd place: 2-2 - Kristine Zemen, Cricket, James Knight, Bubbles, Susan James, Steve James, Paige Fierbaugh, Nike, Will Miller, Mary Katherine Lloyd, Kim Halder, Michael Humphrey, Sharon Latimer, Kirsten Weed, John Lloyd, Becky Martin, David Martin, Snaps
Notables: 1-3 - Pistol picked against the flow last night and showed us that she is not totally out of this competition.

Tonight’s game has TCU lined up against Louisiana Tech. Only 3 people in our whole contest picked La Tech to pull off the upset, so our standings shouldn’t shift much regardless of the outcome.  We either all win or all lose.  For the sake of staying above .500, I’m pulling for the purple. TCU should have plenty of firepower to put this game away, but as we have already learned this bowl season, you just can’t underestimate any team from the state of Louisiana. However, I hear Texas is a pretty solid football state as well, so maybe this one will go as planned.

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Bowl Picks Roundup, Day 1

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Bacon

The first day of games had some close contests and thrilling finishes, despite the lack of big name teams.  Two games were decided by 2 points or less, with only one being a convincing victory.  So, as far as our picks are concerned, it was sort of a toss up kind of day.  The good news is that it is early and there are still 30+ games to go, so if you got off to a slow start, no need to worry too much.  Records don’t mean anything until the final day of the season.

Here’s the office snapshot:

Bacon: 2-1
Rambo: 1-2
Rebecca: 1-2

Here are the leaders from the rest of the contestants:

1st place: 3-0 – T-Bone, Dill, Cass Waddell, Caitlin Weed, Aaron Sims
2nd place: 2-1 – John Lloyd, Kelsey Weed, Sharon Latimer, Dennis McElhaney, Mary Katherine Lloyd, Trip, Will Miller, Nike, Paige Fierbaugh, Susan James, Pretzel, Bubbles, James Knight, Cricket, Kristine Zeman
3rd place: 1-2 – Lots of people…  I’ll add this when there is more separation
Notables: 0-3 – Pistol is perfect so far (of course she forgot that you are supposed to pick the winners)

Tonight’s game features the FIU Panthers against Marshall.  As Rebecca alluded to in her picks, Marshall has a prettied storied football history, while FIU is quite the up-and-coming program.  The Panthers have had their year in school history, while Marshall struggled a bit but would love to walk away with a big win to cap off their season finale’.  As for our contest, 73% of us favor FIU in this game.  Bring it on, let’s see what happens!

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Bowl Contest Begins Today!

Posted on December 17, 2011 by Bacon

It’s finally game day! College football bowl game day that is. The most anticipated contest of the year (outside of our tribal competitions) begins this afternoon with 3 games. Unfortunately, there isn’t a ton to be excited about as the teams playing today don’t really have many followers among our campers or staff. So, this day will serve as a teaser, a dry run if you will to get our feet wet and see how we all fare in our first picks. Bowl season is crazy, so anything can happen.

Here’s a look at how the contestants in our contest picked the three games on tap for today:

Tune in tomorrow for our first round of updated standings!!

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2011 Bowl Bonanza Contest

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Bacon

Controversy, controversy, controversy. That pretty much sums up the end to this year’s regular season of college football. Depending on your allegiance, you might be very happy or you could be quite upset. Oh well, once again, it is what it is. Until someone dreams up a better system that the powers that be will actually sign off on, we will keep spinning our wheels with the same “it’s not fair” arguments throughout the month of December.  Personally, I think a playoff would be cool, but I would hate to see the bowl season traditions go away. It’s a wonderful time of year for programs of all sizes to get a shot at national TV audiences. It provides an outlet for small schools to see how they stand up against the power conferences. I just don’t see a great solution on the horizon to this nonsense.  Perhaps a 12 team playoff arrangement would be best, but I don’t see how you can get a true unbiased ranking of the top 12 teams. There is just too much speculation involved in using the current polls and ranking systems.

OK.  Off the soap box and back to the point – BOWL PICKS!! It’s time for our annual Bowl Bonanza Contest.  Join in the fun as campers and staffers try to beat Rambo, Bacon, Rebecca and Lily Belle in our bowl picks competition. Bragging rights are on the line as well as some really cool prizes. The overall winner of the contest will receive 15% off of their camp tuition for next season as well as some other great prizes that will be mailed to your home. They will also receive 2000 points for their tribe during their session this summer as well as recognition / trophy presentation during the camp season. Prizes will also be awarded to everyone who beats the best record of the office staff.

Last year I redeemed my last place, pathetic, embarrassing and forgettable 2009 record by posting a 22-13 mark, followed by Rambo at 20-15 with Rebecca teaching us that you shouldn’t listen to your dog when making picks.   Historically, 20 wins is a good goal to place in our contest with 22 to 24 wins typically needed to be the champion. Last year’s champion, Mary Katherine Lloyd completed the season with a 25-10 record.  So, do your research, crunch your numbers and make your picks. We look forward to seeing who can hang with us this year!

Once the games begin, check in often to see how you stand.  We will keep you posted via this blog, Facebook and Twitter.

Here’s the link you have been waiting for.  Click on the photo below to enter your picks in our 2011 Bowl Bonanza Contest.  Good luck!!

Bowl Bonanza

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Climbing Wall Facelift

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Bacon

Over the last two weeks, Rick and T-Bone have been working hard on the climbing wall, giving it a complete face-lift in preparation for next summer. We have given the wall a fresh coat of paint, cleaned all of the holds and re-routed each climbing face. T-Bone is even working on a special super technical climbing route for those experts out there. From what I understand, this new route will challenge the strength of your fingertips and agility of your toes.

This face-lift means that even if you have climbed the wall 20 times before, you are in for new challenges as we have rearranged everything. Whether you love The Tower, The Beast, Daytona or one of the other routes, you can be certain that you are in for a new experience the next time you slide into that harness and buckle on that helmet. We can’t wait to test it out with you.

Here’s some pictures taken along the way:

We’ll start with a few “Before” pictures:

The Tower

The first section of "The Tower"

Camel's Hump

Lower section of Camel's Hump

Upper Camel's Hump

Upper Section of Camel's Hump

Here’s a look “After” the paint and during re-routing:

The Wall

Work in progress is a beautiful thing

The Beast

Setting routes on The Beast

T-Bone

"Take the picture already so I can get back to work."

The Ladder

Testing out The Ladder (aka Bunny Slope)

Happy Climbing!!

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Friday Night Lights

Posted on September 20, 2011 by strongadmin

It is one of our favorite times of year!  One of the reasons that we love fall is FOOTBALL!  What better way to watch a Friday night football game than with your Strong Rock Family?  That is exactly what we did last Friday!  Rambo and several staff loaded up the truck and headed down to Locust Grove to watch the Strong Rock Christian School Patriots take on the First Presbyterian Day School Vikings.  We had a great time hanging out with many of our camp friends as well as meeting a lot of new families who stopped by to register for a chance to play in the Third Annual Strong Rock Camp Half-Time Game!

Six lucky students were chosen to compete in a Wacky Relay for a chance to win a free session at camp!

It was great to see so many familiar camper faces and catch up on life after camp!

Thanks to all who stopped by to see us and for all the fans who came out to support the Patriots!!  We can’t wait to visit with you all again real soon.

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