[QUOTE=RubberRhib888;117422]The Ducks are a good team and they continue to make impressive strides towards becoming even better. However, you cannot fuck with the SEC…look at the titles. Read em and weep. It is what it is. As soon as the BCS is dismantled and a playoff system is installed things will get intetesting. Good teams like the Ducks need to play better more seasoned teams in order to become better themselves.[/QUOTE]
Agreed that playing better teams will always make a team better. But you can’t argue that the SEC doesn’t benefit from a large amount of bias. If both OR and Alabama had one loss, and say OR defeats a 5th ranked USC in the Pac-12 championship, and Alabama defeats a 22nd ranked SEC team, they will choose Alabama to go to the big game every time. It’s hard to play good out of conference teams when they keep canceling games (like Georgia recently did). I think this is the season where the SEC streak will broken.
Agreed that playing better teams will always make a team better. But you can’t argue that the SEC doesn’t benefit from a large amount of bias. If both OR and Alabama had one loss, and say OR defeats a 5th ranked USC in the Pac-12 championship, and Alabama defeats a 22nd ranked SEC team, they will choose Alabama to go to the big game every time. It’s hard to play good out of conference teams when they keep canceling games (like Georgia recently did). I think this is the season where the SEC streak will broken.[/QUOTE]
You have a point with not being able to play out of conference. …that is where my reference to dismantling the BCS will come in handy. Unfortunately, it’s all about the dollars when it comes to sports on tv…and there is a lot of $$$ to be made with college football. I am NOT an Albama fan!!..but…whether you want to agree or not…there are fewer fans who are as HARDCORE as Alabama college football fans. That’s all they have there in Bama for sports…it only makes sense. For the record, I root for the Gators. OR is a good team and I look forward to seeing them get beat by SEC teams…lol Should shape up foe a great year of college football.
[QUOTE=RubberRhib888;117449]I forgot to add: USC sux anyway. they always have one of the easiest schedules every year. Never understood the hype behind them…just look at Sanchez…[/QUOTE]
I’m obviously not a USC fan, but their schedule, at least last years, was tougher than Alabama’s is this year. They had to play Oregon, Stanford and Notre Dame and a few other decent teams, like the two Arizona teams, they’re ok, better than Chattanooga and Kentucky. The only good teams Alabama plays this year are LSU and Texas A & M, and I believe the LSU game is a home game. Considering this and similar schedules in the past, an undefeated Alabama is not that impressive. More bark than bite. And ND didn’t deserve to play them with the poor showing they made. Also those stinking Florida Gators were given the edge over OR in the rankings last year due to the SEC bias previously mentioned. They showed what undeserving crap they were in the way they played their bowl game.
Like everyone else in this thread has said; you’ll get hired based on a hunch from their recruiters/coordinators. You’ll keep your job because you’re dependable.
Some advice: Regardless of what vessel you’re sent to; keep your head down and your mouth shut for the first six months. When the captains, engineers and everyone else give you shit, just shut up and keep working. Don’t be ‘that guy’ that runs to the office after the first two hitch complaining how it’s so hard. You won’t last long. I had a deckhand do that recently and unlike the old addage, the new squeaky wheel got replaced.
Some other advice: Don’t wait for your employer to ask you, invite you or pay your way to get your STCW, AB, QMED or whatever certifications you’re striving for. Save your money and go to class. Yes, on your time off. Keep all your receipts and take it off your taxes.
This is my first post so I hope this works. I guess I’m primarily directing this at the veteran mariners out there. I’ve been researching and doing my own due diligence for several weeks now about getting my OS. I’ve been reading these forums for quite a while now and therefore don’t need to ask you veterans the same old questions you always get from newbies but my situation is one that I really haven’t seen addressed in the forums I have clicked on so far. I am interested in pursuing this career but I just turned 50 years old and don’t know if it is a realistic possibility for me to get into this now. I am in good physical shape (not obese or a couch potato) but I just haven’t heard anyone mention an upper age limit. My background is kind of eclectic. I’ve been working since I was 12 years old. I did a stint in the Marine Corp. in the 80’s. I got a case of the stupids and graduated from college and got an education in “how to work in poor paying salaried jobs”. Right now, I’m in Basrah Iraq working as a contractor and I’m getting ready to come back to the states and I just can’t stomach the thought of going back into my degreed field. I’m at the point in my life where I want to work as hard and fast as my motivation and talents can take me. I’m just wondering if my age would give a potential employer some pause. I do have one newbie question for you folks and that is: When your ship comes in for a changeover, do you have to get off or can you request to go right back out again?
Welcome bouch3. Try do a search on “older sailors”, there was a discussion about this a little while back. Can’t answer your question about changeovers. Good luck!
[QUOTE=bouch3;117515] When your ship comes in for a changeover, do you have to get off or can you request to go right back out again?[/QUOTE]
That’s a little like asking what are the hiring practices of organizations that operate vehicles.Driving a log truck you might be working for a logging company which would not be the same as getting hired to drive a taxi or a dump truck even though they each are vehicles and operate on the road.
Different organizations that operate vessels have different practices with regard to personnel.
I don’t think 50 is too old. It all depends on how well you impress the recruiter when you go for the job.
Being in good shape AND being mature and experienced enough to handle the job and conditions might give you an advantage over a twenty-year-old.
As far as staying on for extra work after your hitch ends, it really depends on the company. My employer (an OSV operator) can always find work for me if I want to stay on after crew change.
Sometimes they ask if you are available for more work. Rarely/occasionally some companies will TELL you you’re working over because they don’t have any relief for you (always a popular choice for a tired mariner). And sometimes there isn’t enough work or money to go around and you are lucky to come back next hitch.
So no, 50 is not a dealbreaker. And picking up an extra hitch is not unheard of, either.
[QUOTE=bouch3;117515]This is my first post so I hope this works. I guess I’m primarily directing this at the veteran mariners out there. I’ve been researching and doing my own due diligence for several weeks now about getting my OS. I’ve been reading these forums for quite a while now and therefore don’t need to ask you veterans the same old questions you always get from newbies but my situation is one that I really haven’t seen addressed in the forums I have clicked on so far. I am interested in pursuing this career but I just turned 50 years old and don’t know if it is a realistic possibility for me to get into this now. I am in good physical shape (not obese or a couch potato) but I just haven’t heard anyone mention an upper age limit. My background is kind of eclectic. I’ve been working since I was 12 years old. I did a stint in the Marine Corp. in the 80’s. I got a case of the stupids and graduated from college and got an education in “how to work in poor paying salaried jobs”. Right now, I’m in Basrah Iraq working as a contractor and I’m getting ready to come back to the states and I just can’t stomach the thought of going back into my degreed field. I’m at the point in my life where I want to work as hard and fast as my motivation and talents can take me. I’m just wondering if my age would give a potential employer some pause. I do have one newbie question for you folks and that is: When your ship comes in for a changeover, do you have to get off or can you request to go right back out again?[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=oregonblitzkrieg;117590]I’ll take your contracting job. ;)[/QUOTE]
I wish you luck with that. My company lost the bid to another company who is only keeping 15 americans in supervisory positions for the part of the contract I’m involved with. All of the rest of us expats are being replaced with foreign nationals (some of whom are going to be making $15,000 per year). Even though we are on a U.S. consulate and this is a U.S. company who won the new contract, we are being replaced with local nationals (Iraqi citizens) and foreign nationals (citizens from India, Nepal, Kenya, and the Balkans) who will do the work for a pittance.
[QUOTE=MFOWelectrician;117516]Welcome bouch3. Try do a search on “older sailors”, there was a discussion about this a little while back. Can’t answer your question about changeovers. Good luck![/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=BilgeRat42;117519]I don’t think 50 is too old. It all depends on how well you impress the recruiter when you go for the job.
Being in good shape AND being mature and experienced enough to handle the job and conditions might give you an advantage over a twenty-year-old.
As far as staying on for extra work after your hitch ends, it really depends on the company. My employer (an OSV operator) can always find work for me if I want to stay on after crew change.
Sometimes they ask if you are available for more work. Rarely/occasionally some companies will TELL you you’re working over because they don’t have any relief for you (always a popular choice for a tired mariner). And sometimes there isn’t enough work or money to go around and you are lucky to come back next hitch.
So no, 50 is not a dealbreaker. And picking up an extra hitch is not unheard of, either.
As a Crimson Tide fan. I’m not happy with their inability to run the football. I sure hope Saban makes some adjustments before we face the defenses of the SEC.
[QUOTE=ryanwood86;119039]Don’t under rate Va Tech’s D, year in and year out they are solid.[/QUOTE]
The fact that you guys are all taking up how good Alabama’s first opponent is shows you know how weak their schedule truly is. As usual, scheduling a bunch of patsies to give themselves as an easy road to the BCS game. Too bad they can’t dodge Texas A&M and LSU. I’m sure they’d schedule some podunk schools in their place if they could get away with it.
Updated - - -
[QUOTE=justaboatdriver;119033]Alabama is playing a great game against a great football program, Virginia Tech, for their season opener.
The Ducks are playing Nicholls State from Thibodaux on their opening game?
You say Alabama has an easy schedule? You think Alabama’s rank goes un-earned?
Please[/QUOTE]
LSU and Texas A&M, the only two good teams on your schedule this year. Enough said. Tennessee will be heading back south with a 3-66 L too.
