[A.G.]

So basically, it's like women's tennis (or world soccer) where you can accumulate more points by playing in more events. That's how the US soccer team got their #5 FIFA ranking.

[jimflamesfan]

What I was saying was in '97, there were schools like Univ. of Pittsburgh and Harvard I believe that did go to more events than LU...AND WE STILL BEAT THEM.

So now we go to more events than them...(and of course we beat them even worse).

[RubberMallet]

What I was saying was in '97, there were schools like Univ. of Pittsburgh and Harvard I believe that did go to more events than LU...AND WE STILL BEAT THEM.

So now we go to more events than them...(and of course we beat them even worse).

who gives a flying ferry flip about 9 years ago?

that doesn't change the fact that we aer only #1 because we have a larger team that travels to more events...

[RubberMallet]

no it's not. It shows you what happens when only half of your team is good. You lose.

thats why the obvious debate system is retarded...almost as stupid as the BCS...

counting the jv points....sheesh..

[SuperJon]

who gives a flying ferry flip about 9 years ago?

Greatest. Line. Ever.

[PAmedic]

you guys are brutal.

MALLET , you sure you're not from the northeast? gotta be.

all the above may be true but lets keep in mind this team and their coach work very hard, are very talented, and they use the system, the way its been designed- to win.
nothing wrong with that- maybe LU will force National debate to come up with a new system- nothing wrong with forcing the rest of the country to CHANGE the RULES to beat you!

[jimflamesfan]

Rubbermallet,

Here's why I bring up 9 years ago...LU was #1 then when we didn't go to as many tournaments as Harvard and Pitt...LU is number 1 now when they go to more tornaments.

Maybe LU should start giving a handicap to the other teams...like a bowling system. LOL.

[qkslvrsrfrboy]

im thinking the school your friend went to in chicago was Northwestern? if so he was probably just mad because northwestern always finishes pretty close behind Liberty. But no, its not even that we go to more events than other schools, its mainly that not alot of the other schools like Harvard, Dartmouth, etc. have Novice teams and we do, so while other people are restricted to the JV and Varsity teams, coach O'Donnell has a Novice team of about 40 kids working for a year at perfecting their debate skills before going to JV and Varsity tournaments. Heres a pretty interesting fact that i doubt any one on here knows, but Engel Productions ( i dont know if anyone has heard of them) is filming a documentary on the Debate Team. They were one of 3 production companies bidding to film this, and there are bids to buy the documentary already from HBO and A&E. But they started filming sunday night at the welcome party and will film basically every meeting until the end of the season.

[qkslvrsrfrboy]

i forgot the point i was trying to make at the begining about us having the novice team. Its because than it makes it seem as though we are going to more tournaments because we can go to Novice tournaments, as well as when other schools only take 2 teams to a tournament, Liberty is able to take 3.

[RubberMallet]

basically you just said we are the best because we debate more and have more teams...

and no its not northwestern..

[LUconn]

Are you sure you're on the debate team? My explanation made you guys sound way better. You're pretty much throwing them under the bus.

[Ed Dantes]

The thing with debate, that I've noticed, is that it's not like two people talking about an issue such as abortion going back and forth like it's an episode of Hannity & Colmes, or the O'Reilly Factor. All it is, basically, is some motor mouth who tries to plow as many points as humanly possible into a specific time frame...

I mean, seriously. If debate were more like "Around the Horn", I might care.

Well, maybe not "Around the Horn." But you get my drift.

[ATrain]

Look for some major news breaking in the next issue of The Champion about our debate team...can't say too much right now though.

[qkslvrsrfrboy]

i aswer to the post above the last one, forgot the name sorry, the first 4 speeches are extremely fast and they are trying to cram in as many points as possible, and your right, alot of times they arent even talking about the topic. for istance , say there is a debate where the first speech comes up saying the case planned parenthood v. casey should be overruled because of undue burden (that case deals with abortion restrictions) the second speech will come up and read 2 or 3 disadvantages to that plan, a kritik to that plan, possibly a counterpla, whether or not the plan is even topical, and then finally whats bad about abortion. what sucks is that generally you dont ever get to actually debate the actual topic, cuz your too busy debating why that plan is bad. but if you listen it is all very informative and educational and is more like hannity and colmes and around the horn, just around the horn on speed.

[PAmedic]

like that post of yours

yeesh, take a breath

[qkslvrsrfrboy]

that can all be said in one breath

[Rocketfan]

They were one of 3 production companies bidding to film this, and there are bids to buy the documentary already from HBO and A&E. But they started filming sunday night at the welcome party and will film basically every meeting until the end of the season.

How would a debate documentary fit it at all with HBO programming......many the spanish HBO needed some filler or something but i can't see how this would interest any of there viewers??? Maybe its just me though. A&E right after another Matlock rerun i can totally see happening.

[qkslvrsrfrboy]

yeah idk, dont ask me im not the one who came up with the idea haha. i just know there are cameras that follow us around, so either they actually are making a documentary or they are really good liars and secretly another debate team stealing all of our secrets that make us the number 1 program in the country.

[TallyW]

You make it sound like the 'secret' is to bring a bus load of teams to the tournaments. This is your first semester right?

[qkslvrsrfrboy]

no there really is no secret, and its not the fact that we take a bus load of teams, its the fact that we are one of the only teams where the novice write their own affirmatives, where as other schools give the novice everything to say, meaning we understand what were saying and can defend it better where as the other teams basically have no idea what the hell they are talking about. also, we have JV and Varsity that at one point were novices and are willing to go the extra mile to help novice out, where as other teams dont give a crap about the novice teams. Also, other than west point and Navy, we are basically the only team that when we get back from a day of debates, we dont go get drunk and high we go to a team meeting for 2 hours. Also, consider the fact that most of the other schools debate budgets dont peak over 100,000, where as we have over half a million budget. also throw in the fact that our coach is well known in D.C. and it adds up to our success.

[qkslvrsrfrboy]

For all those wondering, the debate team is in Cleveland this weekend for a tournament in which we cleared half of our Varsity teams, all but one of our JV teams, and all of our novice teams, which is probably the best way to end Brett's career as the head of the debate program. It also gives us a huge upperhand to win both the JV and Novice divisions.

[PAmedic]

(we missed this one)

http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=13208&NewsID=178

LU debate sweeps debate rankings championships for the second consecutive year

For Immediate Release
April 16, 2007
Liberty University Debate Team

Last year the Liberty University Debate Team made history by becoming the first school to win the rankings championships of each of debate’s three governing organizations, the American Debate Association (ADA), the Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA), and the National Debate Tournament (NDT).

let the whining begin about how we "rig" the system

congrats to the teams and coaches on another great season!

[Cider Jim]

Not a bad season, esp. with Dr. Brett working for McCain now.

[AZjonz]

This is on the Liberty website, but I figured it could be posted here.

Great coach and a class act! Under Brett O'Donnell he was an important part of Liberty's success. He'll keep the ball rolling. (Even if he is a Duke fan)


"Michael Hall has been named the new director of Liberty’s winning debate team.

Last season, LU’s debate team won all three national rankings by the national debate tournament’s governing organizations, a historic feat. Falwell said the team stands a good chance of repeat wins this year under Hall’s direction and is currently first place in one ranking and a close second in the other two.

Hall was the former director of debate at Penn State from 1995 to 1998 and was the assistant director of debate at Liberty from 1993 to 1995."


http://www.liberty.edu/libertyjournal/i ... &ArtID=122

[matshark]

McCain doesn't need O'Donnell to work for him... he can already lie... er... debate his way out of and around anything including the bill of rights, conflicts of interest and dumping wives for a newer model or whatever else is politically expedient...

That being said, I had Mike Hall for an Argumentation class and LOVED it. He's a great teacher and a very good debate coach. Liberty will do well under him.