The Sicatoka

REA is now really a three facility complex: The Ralph - 11406 seats, 200x85 ice, primarily for hockey, can hold over 13000 for basketball The Olympic Arena - maybe 1000 seats, 200x100 Olympic-sized ice, primarily for hockey practices (when going on road to play on ice that size) and some womens games The Betty - about 4000 seats, basketball and volleyball

Fabian is out (shoulder). Sounds like Murray is out (leg). We don't know Prpich's status (concussion). UND's roster is only 14 forwards, 8 defense, and 3 goalies and that's including Lee Marvin as a forward. If we need to put a defenseman or two up front just to have enough forwards, Marvin and Fuher make the most sense. Why? First, because we are really short on left-shooting forwards (wouldn't you know Fabian, Murray, and Prpich are all southpaws) and Lee Marvin shoots from that side and has done a decent job up front so far. Next, if you have to play another D up front make it Fuher so Bina and Radke get some experience this year, because they'll have to be the core of the D next year (with Smaby). PS - There's one other advantage to having Marvin and Fuher dressed as forwards: In case you need to bench a D-man for dumb penalties.

Has anybody else noticed that you don't see bin Laden and Hakstol in the same room at the same time?

Hair, schmair. Hak's teeth are too straight and too white. And what's the deal with all the coaches being over six feet tall. Somebody fix that too.

I recall it pointing to all UND fans. Unfortunately, the easiest situations to point to are with students at home. Trust me, I've seen some questionable road behavior at times from UND non-student fans also. I'm glad the letter was written addressed to all.

Trust me, it's not just the good ideas of the students that have been summarily ignored. I've tried and I'm just as invisible. A new management regime is coming into place at REA with Todd Berning's departure. Would we have ever expected to see "comments@theralph.com" on the ring either of the last two seasons asking for inputs? There may be hope.

There were 11406 copies of that letter in the arena that night. It wasn't just the students being told "be good" as fans. What is it that the students think they want? Seriously.

The problem? Running a non-conservative offense usually starts with a healthy, skilled QB.

A leather seat in a $104 MM arena. They ask you to respect the sight-lines of the other folks there watching the game. They ask for a network TV vocabulary. Horrible, just horrible. (sigh) <--- That's me not even going to try.

If I can sit in the stands, and based on personnel, know what UND is running, the other team is doing it too.

The 2000 team put up the points, but didn't they always leave you feeling like they just didn't get the key drive when the defense needed it? I felt like just a little more consistency at key times would have made 2000 more special. Dan Freund. How can you go wrong with a QB named FreUND? Sounds like this year. Clearly opportunity is there. Who steps up? Side bar: The receivers are small. If the QB needs a bigger target in key situations there are these guys called tight ends .... This is my biggest concern area (especially after the injury to Alan Sundby). That's actually better than what we had to do this year.

Schedule: @ Maine x2 @ MSU-Mankato x2 Minnesota x2 @ BC @ Northeastern Win at home; split on the road theory: 5-3-0 or 0.625 Actual: 4-2-2 or 0.625 You'll understand why there's little wailing or knashing of teeth from this direction. The better part: The team didn't get better as the season went along during the last two seasons, but other teams did. That proved to be UND's undoing. I'm hoping that changes this year and I see growth (individually and as a team). PS - In the future, can't we get a someone like UMD to go along with us on these types of trips so we don't have to play a rested Northeastern squad after going full-tilt-boogie the night before against BC. Proposed schedule: Friday: UMD @ NE, UND @ BC Saturday: UND @ NE, UMD @ BC

It's not how you start, it's not the 1-4-1 run in January, it's about how the you grow individually and as a team through the season and where you finish. Signed, The 2004 Denver Pioneers

My thoughts exactly.

Solid defense, inconsistent offense: 2000.

I'm sure this is UND's fault also: Yup, #4 UND at #2 BC gets over 1000 empty seats. Minnesota at North Dakota: 200 empty seats of 11406, arena 98.2% full. North Dakota at Boston College: 1000 empty seats of 7884, arena 87% full. Think INCH will pick that up?

And it's time again for another episode of "Sports Advice or Life Advice?": If you have a problem with someone, first make sure what you think you know really is fact by going to the person and asking. Stories do get crossed up. In this situation the question is perfectly in bounds. It goes to commitment to duties. Try to resolve the situation at the most direct level. Next, if you can't resolve the situation at that level, go to that person's boss. Ask that person to look into the matter. Ask them to compare what you were told versus what they know versus what they find when they look into the matter. If that doesn't get a resolution, go up one more level. It's a pretty simple approach and it works just about anywhere. The Administrator on this board has told us time and time again that folks within Hyslop Sports Center both read and post to this forum. As the learned, wise, and aged PCM asks us, how will posting things like this anonymously make the situation any better? If you believe there is a problem deal with it head-on. My answer to your question: Have you dealt with the matter head-on at the direct level? The strong take on challenges from the front. The rest crank the rumor mill. Thus endeth the lesson.

Rats. Someone has finally figured out that I'm really Johnny Damon of the Red Sox "Idiot Brigade". Need more proof? Never panic.

Kessel being from the Madison area, I still think Buckie has as good of a shot as Michigan and both of those are probably better than Goldie's. I'd put UND as a very long long-shot.

Where'd the career record start from? Did it get tilted by taking over a struggling program? What's been the direction of the program to this point? Are there logical explanations for a problematic season (youth)? Last season, 2003-2004, only improved the career conference record. It had to have been in that realm before that season. If 0.336 is the tripwire for removal, why wasn't she removed before last season? What's the standard?

I assume your application for the position is in.

You know, I've never seen the official rule in the book. You could well be correct on having to do both. Winning the league is really no big deal at this point to them either. From this week's NSIC release: They've got a share of the NSIC title guaranteed already and there's about no imaginable way they'll fall from the top ten. All that UND can do is all that any of us can do: Control what's yours to control. If UND wins, controls what's its to control, the rest takes care of itself.

Doesn't the silly earned access rule say that if a conference has one team in the regional top ten the conference is guaranteed one of the six playoff slots? For Winona State to not make it at this point would take a series of immaculate misfortunes.

What standard will Hakstol be held to when he has a very young team a year from now? I'm trying to be consistent: Come off winning season (and NCAA appearance) to a sub-par performance and get one (<--- key word) more chance to prove yourself. More food for thought: NDSU's VB coach has 2 seniors, 1 junior, 6 sophomores, and 5 freshman, and a 7-17 record this year. Should she be on the hot-seat also? Sure it's a different situation, but her wins are over "lesser" programs (like MSU-Moorhead) and she has the funding also. What's the standard there? I'm just trying to find the standard that the UND coaches are expected to live to. If my standard is too easy, show me one that is consistent and works for the long-term goals of UND Athletics and I'll gladly get on board. Boy I'm glad these decisions aren't mine. I don't know how RT lives in that fishbowl.