The Sicatoka

ESPN is maybe, maybe, 20% of the sports programming on my television these days. Not a great benchmark. You missed one. Fixed it for you.

... because NDSU has not hopped into a hockey rivalry. Imagine two to four games per year between those two.

Here's what's interesting: NDSU fans are debating with UND about who's better and how close the football programs are. Clearly, because NDSU fans are here and discussing it, it must be close enough to warrant the conversation. Could the conversation continue to other areas? Volleyball? The vaunted NDSU program just lost to UND. MBB or WBB? Sure NDSU holds the recent win in MBB, but none of these programs has much to crow about (spotlighted by the departure of the Woodside class from NDSU). But then the conversation turns ugly when UND fans point out their hockey program that has alumni with gold and silver medals, mens and womens, from the Vancouver Olympics and a recent captain of a Stanley Cup winner. NDSU has no answer to, nothing to match to, UND's premier program. So the conversation has to return to football. But by NDSU fans returning to football they are admitting the programs are close enough to have the conversation.

Hey! Right now: Back on topic! UND at Fresno State. What's new with Fresno State's FB program? Fraud investigations. http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/6949074/fresno-state-bulldogs-football-players-tied-welfare-fraud I think Fresno State should play it safe and suspend those guys for Saturday's game just in case there's some remote possibility of an NCAA violation associated with this.

Sorry ladies. The story on the "inter-webs" is that Zach Parise proposed last month. July 2012 wedding. One more off the market. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-acIJ46ojkmI/Tm-5pZyMNEI/AAAAAAAAIVs/rG8yAZKZyvI/s200/x610.jpg

Blasphemy!

Birds fly. Fish swim. Sun rises in the east. Figured we needed some more obvious truisms.

If I heard correctly, I do believe today is a great day. I believe today is the first day Coach Hakstol and staff can be on the ice with the team.

Dearest Johnnyboy, You're feelin' your NDSU football-rah-rah oats right now. Good for you. Will you be like the EWU fan you complain about when times aren't so grand? Will you too become invisible when times get tough? PS - Johnboy ... as in that former illustrious poster here who lived in Johnson Hall at NDSU and is an Irish (<-- race-based hostile and abusive moniker alert) fan that "graced" us with their presence a while back?

Again with the eleventy-billion to two prediction?

It would help two ways: - more points - more rest for a defense that seems to fade late

The defense's job is to get the ball back to the offense and to not allow the opponent to be productive. The offense's job is to hang onto the ball and be productive with it. If either fails, both suffer.

This is my story, and I'm sticking to it.

And the advent of High-Definition television (sorry DaveK) is making hockey more television-friendly right now. Add in larger screens in homes and it adds to hockey's growing television prowess*. And then there's the fact that some folks are just willing to ignore: the growth of hockey in the US. One interesting fact to chew on in that regard: NDSU's football roster (100 players) has two Californians; UND's hockey roster (25) has two Californians (plus guys from the hockey hotbeds of Arizona, Missouri, and Washington, DC). * 25 years ago how many homes had a 32" or larger TV? How many today have a 40" or larger?

I know it's short for Barcelona, but how many others would?

There was a city change in there that probably accounts for that. The better question that you should've asked was, "Do you see "Bullets" jerseys at "Wizards" games?" --> same franchise, same town.

Real UND? UND Barça? UND Arsenal*? Now excuse me while I vomit after all of the soccer references. *That's probably too scary and war-like for the PC bedwetters.

Mentioning "another 20 years" ... Congratulations to NDSU's last and most recent football national championship banner: It will be legal to go to the bars later this year. Yes, it'll be 21 years old.

The NCAA policy says race-based images are naughty-naughty, thus the Nickel must be retired. Too bad NDSU didn't play UND after 2003 but before Aug 15, 2011. Now the full force of sanctions are in effect. UND can't bring out the Nickel per the NCAA. It has to stay where it is, and in retirement. If that's a problem, take it up in Indianapolis, Indiana. I'm sure they'll listen.

CHS is on the north side of Bismarck.

Yes, ... 1 > 0. Last weekend, honestly, Massey had St. Francis at 0% chance at NDSU. All of Massey's predictions for the week are here: http://masseyratings.com/pred.php?s=107811&sub=&days=7 Click on the "%" sign to sort them.

Since we're way off the rails already, who wants to do an analysis similar to this one for all the FCS teams and see how well it correlates to on-field success.

And more than likely little else.

It was my story; it is my story; it will be my story.

Massey (mratings.com) is picking Fresno State 37-7 and giving UND only a 1% chance of winning. Massey had UND with a 10% chance of winning at Idaho.