OT:Hamilton College football/The old Rocking Chair classic

[Cuseregular]

hey board denizens, Cuse plays UNC on friday 10/31/2025, a few of us on here went and played at Hamilton a hundred or so years ago and myself and some others from back in the day (along with a board legend or two from here), we will be heading over for one of their games the day after we play UNC.

Gameday there is Saturday Nov. 1st, 2025 against Middlebury college. It's an old rival albeit a one sided affair mostly over the years with Middlebury dominating the "Old Rocking Chair Classic" started by a mentor and later friend Mac Bristol a Hamilton grad/former football player who essentially started Bristol Myers (Squibb) and started the tradition associated with this game.

76-100 - 80. Old Rocking Chair a seat worth waiting for - Hamilton College

www.hamilton.edu

He is no longer with us but the game is played on and despite it's perennial struggles Hamilton has a real shot this year. Anyway, posting to encourage anyone who loves college football to consider coming over and experiencing what small college football is all about.

It's very cool, for the lack of a better phrase is very personal and accessible, everything on a smaller scale from tailgating/crowd, to player size now, but football wise is still intense.

So If you're bored, love football and its a pristine day consider coming over making the 45 min or so drive from the Cuse to Clinton/Utica to support and cheer on the Continentals as they try and best the panthers!

Hope to see a bunch of us from here

 

[oldpinepoint]

hey board denizens, Cuse plays UNC on friday 10/31/2025, a few of us on here went and played at Hamilton a hundred or so years ago and myself and some others from back in the day (along with a board legend or two from here), we will be heading over for one of their games the day after we play UNC.

Gameday there is Saturday Nov. 1st, 2025 against Middlebury college. It's an old rival albeit a one sided affair mostly over the years with Middlebury dominating the "Old Rocking Chair Classic" started by a mentor and later friend Mac Bristol a Hamilton grad/former football player who essentially started Bristol Myers (Squibb) and started the tradition associated with this game.

76-100 - 80. Old Rocking Chair a seat worth waiting for - Hamilton College

www.hamilton.edu

He is no longer with us but the game is played on and despite it's perennial struggles Hamilton has a real shot this year. Anyway, posting to encourage anyone who loves college football to consider coming over and experiencing what small college football is all about.

It's very cool, for the lack of a better phrase is very personal and accessible, everything on a smaller scale from tailgating/crowd, to player size now, but football wise is still intense.

So If you're bored, love football and its a pristine day consider coming over making the 45 min or so drive from the Cuse to Clinton/Utica to support and cheer on the Continentals as they try and best the panthers!

Hope to see a bunch of us from here

Is Dave Murray still the coach there?

 

[Cuseregular]

Is Dave Murray still the coach there?

yes sir, great guy. He knows a good thing when he’s got it, with very little to no pressure to win a championship, just be good enough to compete. This year other than one game so far so good. Kinda reminds me of here....

 

[orangefog]

Is Dave Murray still the coach there?

The Iron Maiden guitarist?

 

[sutomcat]

hey board denizens, Cuse plays UNC on friday 10/31/2025, a few of us on here went and played at Hamilton a hundred or so years ago and myself and some others from back in the day (along with a board legend or two from here), we will be heading over for one of their games the day after we play UNC.

Gameday there is Saturday Nov. 1st, 2025 against Middlebury college. It's an old rival albeit a one sided affair mostly over the years with Middlebury dominating the "Old Rocking Chair Classic" started by a mentor and later friend Mac Bristol a Hamilton grad/former football player who essentially started Bristol Myers (Squibb) and started the tradition associated with this game.

76-100 - 80. Old Rocking Chair a seat worth waiting for - Hamilton College

www.hamilton.edu

He is no longer with us but the game is played on and despite it's perennial struggles Hamilton has a real shot this year. Anyway, posting to encourage anyone who loves college football to consider coming over and experiencing what small college football is all about.

It's very cool, for the lack of a better phrase is very personal and accessible, everything on a smaller scale from tailgating/crowd, to player size now, but football wise is still intense.

So If you're bored, love football and its a pristine day consider coming over making the 45 min or so drive from the Cuse to Clinton/Utica to support and cheer on the Continentals as they try and best the panthers!

Hope to see a bunch of us from here

Excited for this game.

Middlebury is going down!

 

[Cuseregular]

Excited for this game.

Middlebury is going down!

They got nothing!!

 

[MadNY3]

I mean, Middlebury has owned Hamilton the past few years...but good luck!

 

[Cuseregular]

I mean, Middlebury has owned Hamilton the past few years...but good luck!

few years! More like 40 years! When we were there they killed us first 3 years including the dial a score game. What's "dial a score" you ask?

Our old school coach thought he'd motivate us with an old fashioned phone dial on the front of the scouting report packet. In the circles where the numbers were he had score predictions, all blowouts by them, one was 50-0 which was prescient. When they took all of us starters out I was pissed especially since this dirty team ran a fake punt up 43-0. So when the punter ran up the sideline by me I "accidently" stepped on the field crushing him. Oops. I gotta get that old film as I hear it's pretty funny. Not surprisingly the coach was fired not long after this game!

Anyway, finally we beat them, senior year, our qb threw for 500 yards, I had 25 tackles, bunch of sacks, etc. Qb was a borderline div. 1 kid, FCS for sure, who fell between the cracks. Today no chance he'd be there and not have been "found". Dude Still holds records to this day as do a few of us.

School did pretty well after that against them in the 90's too as the school invested heavily in us and the sport for a while, I mean for Gods sake they let a bunch of us public school kids in which is why we got good after 28 losing seasons in a row getting pummeled with a 3-24 record until the my last year going 7-1-1 beating the #2 nationally ranked team in the last game.

I think they're now on a similar years long losing non winning seasons streak, this since then there's too much going against the school and league to be as good as it once was. $85,000 year is too expensive for most football playing kids even with aid/scholarship not called scholarships but they gave us anyway, head trauma issues turned too many "smart" kids off the sport so there's not as many "smart" kids playing, the schools too selective these days in admissions....etc. So getting exceptional again is likely not in the cards especially as they do things differently than their peer schools, but when they're at least competitive like it's looking this year, it's still a hoot going and taking in game days.

 

[sutomcat]

I mean, Middlebury has owned Hamilton the past few years...but good luck!

Yikes. Middlebury has 28 wins in a row.

Middlebury College Football History vs Hamilton College

The official Football History vs Hamilton College

athletics.middlebury.edu

 

[Cuseregular]

Yikes. Middlebury has 28 wins in a row.

Middlebury College Football History vs Hamilton College

The official Football History vs Hamilton College

athletics.middlebury.edu

yeah tell me about it. This year looks like it's going to be a competitive game based on rosters I've seen, schedules etc. so it should be a good fun game and I'm calling the upset right now!

 

[oldpinepoint]

yes sir, great guy. He knows a good thing when he’s got it, with very little to no pressure to win a championship, just be good enough to compete. This year other than one game so far so good. Kinda reminds me of here...

He was my coach at Alfred U. Great guy and family