The Sicatoka

With apologies to Fernie's team (in the KIJHL) .... You'd have to come up with a unique logo (no feathers on the rider!) for the ND Ghost Riders.

Again, what's the state motto of Minnesota?

I can give you billions of reasons why he should be. OK, maybe not billions, but about a billion and a half.

The sooner we change it the sooner Standing Rock and Spirit Lake get to live in a world of their choosing. I hope they enjoy that world.

Tom Dennis: Self-aggrandizing, pompous, ass....o....ciate of the Herald.

On the glass is half full side, we never have to deal with him again. Seeyalater.

PCM is the gooderest of the besterestest!

North Dakota Barnstormers? Let's see, stereotype ND as nothing but barns and UND as only an Aero school? Nix.

The young man has the shot of a lifetime. What he chooses to do with it is up to him.

They're with the home sweeps in league regular season play. Last home sweep (two wins, four points) versus a WCHA team in regular season play: March 3 and 4, 2006 vs. Michigan Tech. Folks, that's the 2005-2006 season.

First part: Cuddyer? Morneau loses at least 25 points of BA and 7 HRs in that scenario. No one fears Cuddyer going yard. He's a line-drive doubles hitter. Second part: Exactly, because it's about defense up the middle.

Win at home; Split on the road. That simple approach gets you 42 league points, a shot at the top spot (at least a top three WCHA seed), and almost assuredly an NCAA bid. Why not win in front of the people that appreciate it the most?

I'd say 11-5-1 on New Years Day would be a major step toward not being the very last (one mistake and you're out) at-large bid (again).

Torii Hunter will prove out to be a bigger loss than Johan Santana. Why? Who protects (bats behind) Justin Morneau now?

Here's what I said: Last year there were two home sweeps: the opener and the finale. January's "events" left the off-ice activity question wide open. I do hope I'm wrong, but the pattern is so consistent there must be something to explain it. If it's the fans, please, explain how we fix it. I don't have the wild expectation to win every game (cough-Maine-cough-'93-cough-42-1-2-cough-cough); however, seeing such a wide variation in night-to-night performance begs a "why" question. This team is not average, yet they are merely average in the WCHA (4-4-0). Why?

OK, so Chappell gets benched during the WSU game and he plays at GVSU. How do you prevent Freund from going down in the GVSU game? By pulling him out of the Humbolt State game?

Given Sorbo's graduation and Tibesar's injury, how's the depth at fullback? Might one of the current LBs who played FB in HS be looked at for a move?

No, Hak can lock them down in Grand Forks too. And maybe he should.

They played like they were hung over. Were they?

No, it better be starting in earnest right now.

The sling protecting the non-throwing shoulder is what some of us call a clue. :D

They got a new "Open" sign.

A road split would have been acceptable before that steaming turd laid on the ice vs. Duluth Saturday. UND needs to regain those points, starting here and now.

I'm going to say it: This team needs to grow up. Fast. POINT ONE: This team doesn't come prepared to play on Saturdays. I suspect it has something to do with what it does after a Friday home win. Don't tell me this non-sense about how the opponent stews about a loss all day Saturday in a hotel and comes in with more fire. That team is on the road and not sleeping in their own beds, eating road food. The home team has it easier because they can be in their routine, at home. But if that routine includes (yeah, I'm gonna say it, because I'm thinking it) Judy's or similar on a Friday of course they aren't going to be sharp Saturday. They were not sharp Saturday. They looked sluggish. They looked slow. They looked off. They looked hung over. I hope I am wrong, but that's how they performed; that's how they looked. I pay for season tickets to see two sharp performances, win or lose. I deserve a refund for Saturday against both UMD and CC. And I deserve an explanation of what caused the poor performance. And if it's poor choices I deserve an apology. So do the rest of you. POINT TWO: Saturday should be a stern warning to this team. They've been very lucky the last couple of seasons. Every second-half bounce went their way. Even so, they were the last "at large" bid to the NCAAs last year. The last. As in one bad bounce from no bid. As in an 80-footer going in, or a cross-bar, and stay home. Sound like last night? This team has all of the returning talent. It should have itself in a position that it is a sure-fire lock for the NCAAs before the second half. Instead we have splits at home and a questionable record. With previous teams I preached patience because they were young. There is no excuse for this team: It is failing to meet expectations. It needs to grow up and start meeting expectations. And quit expecting to "turn it on". It could bite you. It might not happen. This "unfinished business" talk is hollow until you follow through. You are failing to show you are serious.

Chappell got hurt in a 20-2 game that should've been 20-9 if Winona had finished right before the half and should've been 20-16 if not for the pick by Drake Otto. Winona was in that game until Dressler made it 27-2. (How quickly they forget Winona coming back 21 points a few years ago.) There was no "against GVSU" until Winona was defeated. You play the game you're in, not the (assumed) next one.