IS4S Veterans Bowl: Alabama Teams, Opaque Sponsor, and Coaching Archetypes
TL;DR
- The "40 For 40" podcast series title has outlived its ESPN namesake, demonstrating the series' longevity and the fluctuating number of college football bowl games, which now exceeds 40.
- The IS4S Salute to the Veterans Bowl sponsorship raises questions about the organization's opaque mission, with its motto "ethics over profit" and military-connected Huntsville headquarters suggesting potentially concerning operations.
- This bowl game uniquely determines the "Alabama National Champion" by featuring two teams from Alabama: Troy and Jacksonville State, highlighting an internal state championship narrative.
- Troy's offensive struggles, evidenced by a 2.8 yards per carry average, will necessitate strong quarterback play from Goose Crowder and Tucker Kilcrease to succeed.
- Jacksonville State's identity as a "good Christian football" team is reinforced by their 3,000+ rushing yards, a legacy of their Rich Rodriguez era, emphasizing ball control.
- Charles Kelly, a coach with 21 different positions held across college football, embodies an "Alabama football" archetype, contrasting with Troy's less conventional coaching background.
- The Montgomery Riverfront Brawl, a notable historical event, offers a unique local attraction for attendees of the bowl game, adding a layer of cultural context.
Deep Dive
The "40 for 40" podcast series, a long-running preview of college football bowl games, faces the challenge of an ever-increasing number of games, forcing a shift from individual previews to clustered episodes. This year, the series kicks off with the IS4S Salute to the Veterans Bowl, a game notable for its perplexing sponsor and its unique pairing of two Alabama-based teams: Troy and Jacksonville State. The episode delves into the peculiarities of the sponsor, IS4S, and then dissects the strengths and weaknesses of both participating teams.
The IS4S Salute to the Veterans Bowl presents a sponsorship enigma, with the podcast hosts unable to discern the company's actual purpose despite reviewing their website. The company's motto, "ethics over profit," combined with imagery of explosions and mathematical figures, leads to speculation about its operations, particularly its stated connection to military commitment and its headquarters in Huntsville, Alabama. This unusual sponsorship sets a peculiar tone for a game that also features a unique matchup: two teams from Alabama, Troy and Jacksonville State, both of whom, according to the hosts, outperformed other in-state teams in their respective conference title games.
Troy's offensive challenges are highlighted by their struggles to run the ball, averaging a mere 2.8 yards per carry, though their defense boasts a standout player in Donnie Smith with 10 sacks. Their quarterback situation is also noteworthy, with the return of starter Goose Crowder after an injury and a capable backup in Tucker Kilcrease, whose names are presented as quintessentially "Alabama." Jacksonville State, on the other hand, is characterized by its strong rushing game, exceeding 3,000 yards, a legacy from their Rich Rodriguez era. Their running back, Cam Cook, is recognized as a top player in the country, and their quarterback, Jason, is described as "obnoxious" for opposing defenses. The episode also touches on the coaching lineage, with Jacksonville State's Charles Kelly being presented as the epitome of an "Alabama football coach" due to his local roots and extensive coaching career. The hosts use Jacksonville State's performance against Kennesaw State, including a loss in the conference championship, as indicators of their overall quality. The discussion concludes with lighthearted references to Montgomery, Alabama, the game's location, including the infamous riverfront brawl and local attractions, framing the game as a significant event within the state's football landscape.
Action Items
- Audit IS4S sponsorship: Identify 3-5 potential ethical conflicts or reputational risks associated with their motto ("ethics over profit") and imagery.
- Track team performance metrics: For 3-5 bowl games, measure the correlation between pre-game rankings and final scores to assess predictive accuracy.
- Analyze quarterback naming conventions: For 3-5 teams, document the prevalence of unique or colloquial quarterback names to understand regional naming trends.
- Measure coaching staff diversity: For 3-5 teams, count the number of distinct coaching positions held by staff members to assess career mobility.
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View Episode Notes →Key Quotes
"If you'll remember, we profile and preview bowl games. 40 for 40. This has been going on so long that the title itself has outlived the ESPN franchise on which it was mockingly named after. Yeah, because it was originally 35 for 35 and then we had to change the name."
The hosts explain that their "40 for 40" series, which previews bowl games, has been running for so long that its namesake franchise no longer exists. This highlights the longevity and evolution of their content, adapting its title from an earlier "35 for 35" format.
"Now you might ask, what is IS4S? I have news for you. I have read their entire site and I still don't understand what they do. It has, uh, there are explosions in the looping gifts in the back of the site and then people doing math. I assume that these are the people, um, and their motto is ethics over profit."
The hosts express confusion and skepticism regarding the sponsor IS4S, noting their unclear mission despite reading their website. They describe the sponsor's online presence as featuring explosions and math, with a motto of "ethics over profit," which they find peculiar.
"Ryan, I think you're looking at it the wrong way. This is the only bear bowl game that dared to answer the most important question in football and award its most important trophy, which is, today we determine the Alabama National Champion. That's right. This because this bowl game pairs not one, but two teams, two teams from the Alabama."
One host suggests a unique perspective on the bowl game, framing it as the decider of the "Alabama National Champion." This interpretation emphasizes the game's specific focus on featuring two teams from Alabama, giving it a distinct regional significance.
"What you need to know about Troy is this. Everybody, I'm going to say this in my most, um, the homies are back accent. All right. Folks. Goose Crowder is back after injury. That's right. Their starting quarterback, Goose Crowder, transfer from West Virginia."
The hosts introduce key information about the Troy team, specifically highlighting the return of their starting quarterback, Goose Crowder, from injury. This detail is presented with a colloquial tone, signaling its importance to understanding the team's current status.
"Unlike those heathens at Troy, this is good Christian football. And by that, I mean they run the ball. They have over 3,000 yards. It's kind of a legacy of their like Rich Rodriguez era that they've carried on because it works and you don't, you can't intercept the ball if I got it in my hands."
The hosts contrast Jacksonville State's playing style with Troy's, characterizing Jacksonville State's run-heavy approach as "good Christian football." They explain that this strategy, inherited from a previous coaching era, is effective because it limits the opponent's opportunities to intercept the ball.
Resources
External Resources
Books
- "and other work" by Jason Kirk - Mentioned as Jason Kirk's critically praised novel.
Articles & Papers
- Channel 6 (year-round newsletter) - Mentioned as a newsletter mostly about football.
People
- Jason Kirk - Author of a critically praised novel.
- Ryan - Collaborator on a new show.
- Steven Godfrey - Collaborator on a new show.
- Michael Ray Surber - Producer of the episode.
- Russell Powell - Arranged and performed the 40 for 40 intro.
- Matt - Arranged and performed the 40 for 40 outro.
- Spencer - Writes a year-round newsletter.
- Holly - Writes a year-round newsletter.
- Goose Crowder - Starting quarterback for Troy, transfer from West Virginia.
- Tucker Kilcrease - Backup quarterback for Troy.
- Donnie Smith - Defensive player for Troy with 10 sacks.
- Charles Kelly - Coach for Jacksonville State, formerly of FSU.
- Caleb De Borou - Coach of the Crimson Tide.
- Rich Rodriguez - Mentioned in relation to Jacksonville State's running game legacy.
- Cam Cook - Best U5 running back in the country for Jacksonville State.
- Jason - Quarterback for Jacksonville State.
- Justin Ferguson - Mentioned in relation to his wedding and a specific event in Montgomery.
Organizations & Institutions
- IS4S - Sponsor of the Salute to Veterans Bowl, with a motto of "ethics over profit."
- Trans Ohio - Recipient of proceeds from PTKU merchandise sales.
- FSU - Former coaching affiliation for Charles Kelly.
- JMU - Mentioned in relation to Troy's performance.
Websites & Online Resources
- preownedairboats.com - Website for purchasing PTKU merchandise.
- transohio.org - Website for Trans Ohio.
- channel-6.ghost.io - Website for the Channel 6 newsletter.
- jasonkirk.fyi - Website for Jason Kirk's novel and other work.
- falconscottproductions.com - Website for Ryan and Steven Godfrey's new show.
- linktr.ee/killerantz - Linktree for Killer Antz band and Podcasterino show.
- rss.com/podcasts/podcasterino-pod1/ - Podcast hosting site for Podcasterino.
Other Resources
- PTKU merch - Merchandise sales proceeds donated to Trans Ohio.
- 40 For 40 - Bowl preview series.
- Crampton Bowl - Location of the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl.
- Montgomery Riverfront Brawl - Historical event mentioned in relation to Montgomery.
- Montgomery Riverfront - Location where a historical fight occurred.