The Sicatoka

Now if I remember the elementary schoolyard correctly, isn't this where you're supposed to make foul-like clucking sounds and flap your arms like chicken wings?

Who to play for the Nickel? No one.

Precedent (which is what the polls are based on) shows that late season losses, especially in championship games are supposed to hurt worse than early season losses. They need a playoff, however, a partial, de facto, one was played Saturday: #1 Oklahoma got rocked by #13 Kansas State #2 USC knocked off the (unranked?) OSU Beavers #3 LSU knocked off #5 Georgia #4 Michigan didn't play (?) When it was all out there for the taking, an undefeated season and an uncontested championship, Oklahoma couldn't get it done. (Dare I say North Alabama here?) That tells me that in this "what is available in terms of games left to play" tournament, the championship game should be USC and LSU. That argument is based on on-field results, not any sort of naivity. PS - Just so you know my biases here, I can't stand OU, USC, or LSU. Go Longhorns!

Another Level 3 is moving into Thief River Falls today. Then I heard on KFGO Radio News last week that two more Level 3s are moving into Fargo soon.

Since going to a 28-game schedule in the 1997-1998 season, the lowest league champion's point total was 42 (UND in 2001). As of right now, Minnesota can at most tally 41 points. In that same time frame, it's taken at least 26 points to get home ice in the first round (Minnesota in 1999). If Minnesota were to play 0.500 hockey for the rest of the WCHA season (and they're only playing 0.375 now) they'd have 25 points. People think late-season losses hurt worse. No, a loss is a loss, they all hurt, when it comes to league play. Alternatively, never count them out until their season is confirmed to be over.

Kansas State 35 Oklahoma 7 The Sooners are not undefeated. If they would have lost by a TD or less I wouldn't have problems with it either. But losing by four .... touchdowns? Sorry but USC and LSU should be playing. Oh well, USC will win, it'll split the title and they'll have to do something real with the BCS down the road.

I just got the December "Sioux Illustrated." Why not just put the two-page Prpich vs. Peluso picture from in there on a sign with a simple caption: Back for more?

If the initial claims here are true you have my apologies for that unacceptable behavior. However, regarding the location of the game: Is it possible that the site committee knew, or got wind, of the positive drug test results Saturday night and that also helped to sway their thoughts toward putting the game in Grand Forks? Put yourself in their position: Just about all criteria are even. One team is undefeated. The other team has a marginally higher power rating. Then you find out one team has "off field" issues regarding drug testing ....

No disrespect to Kammrad, but he had a good passing game working for him that day. That helped his numbers rushing. Heckendorf, what he did to UND in the first half was stunning. Then the defense adjusted and he got no more. Sorry but Hall is third of the three. From my point of view, flip a coin on the first two, which means Hall will win be cause the northern vote will be split.

I believe the lyric is: North Dakota's U.

As if the Dru Sjodin case shouldn't have everyone more wary of their surroundings, now this happens Saturday night in Fargo. (Northport is only about a mile from the NDSU campus. However, in this case the victim wasn't a student.) Folks, and on this I know all fans can agree, let's be careful out there. Be aware of your surroundings. And let's get these (omitted) and put them away.

No cheating or looking it up. One UND player has both 100 goals and 100 assists. Obviously, it has to be a 200 point guy. Those are all listed here. Who is the 100 goals / 100 assists guy? Hint: A current player wears the same jersey number and, if the current player'd stay four years, would probably also be a 100/100 guy. (Now I'm trusting my memory as far as jersey numbers, so be nice.)

Back to the original thesis: NDSU versus the playoff field. Note that this is only, and purely, a hypothetical exercise. At least when Northern Colorado and UC-Davis left DII they left after a DII playoff loss and didn't come around with claims of "what could have been."

Ask one of Minnesota's opponents last season: Alabama - Huntsville. All southerners may not care about hockey (other than that Southeast Division of the NHL, or the 'yotes and Kings and Stars), but they do care about basketball and look where Sioux Basketball moves to next season.

I know, I know, me and my crazy-talk.

I'm going to go out on an edge here and say if Dale were to leave .... UND would take the bold and unexpected action of .... hiring a new head football coach. Now, let's ask the corresponding question: What is NDSU prepared to do if Bohl leaves (say to rejoin Solich somewhere)? See how silly it is to speculate?

Let's run through this with the real facilities that matter: Next year's. I'm going to do this in a boxing "ten point must" system. Football FargoDome Vs. Alerus Center FargoDome 10-8. It wins on capacity, but gives points on atmosphere. Basketball Bison Sports Arena Vs. Ralph Engelstad Arena (yes, hoops moves in next year) REA 10-1. The only comparison is that both have courts and roofs. Baseball Newman Outdoor Field Vs. Kraft Field Newman 10-5. But does anyone north of Omaha (without a dome) care about college baseball? Hockey REA vs. None REA 10-0. Wrestling BSA Vs. (with no wrestling program any more, put the old facility here, Hyslop) BSA 10-8. Seating capacity. Volleyball Benson Bunker Fieldhouse Vs. Ralph Engelstad Arena Sport Center. REA-SC 10-1. The Benson-Bunker-Bombshelter?

Yes they are. And in hockey UND is perceived as a peer because of proven performance (in all aspects important to them). If they leave they'll create their own rules about who and when they'd play in their areas of concern. Do we know what they'd decide? We can speculate. I'd speculate their primary concerns would be football and basketball. It is possible to have a non-NCAA program at an NCAA school. There's a school in Utah that the mens soccer program plays in a semi-pro league yet the rest of their athletics is NCAA so there is precedent. Again, you're asking me to speak for superconferences. All I can do is watch how it unfolds.

Are you expecting me to speak for superconferences who have officials that have been heard (and put in print) saying things like (paraphrased): NCAA membership is voluntary. We choose to pay dues. We choose to be a member. All I can do is sit back and watch how it shakes out. Who knows what a reshaped landscape would look like (other than the big dogs keeping a bigger share of the TV money for football and basketball. That I'd bet on.).

Or it'll come down to history repeating itself: A few big dogs will look around and see all the puppies and decide it's time to go to a different porch. Of course, in this case, those big dogs are the ones who "make rain" for the big TV deals for basketball and football. They'll take those with them wherever they decide to go and the puppies will all be left yippin'.

Let? Per NCAA Bylaw 20.4.1.3:

Toughest test of the season thus far. Not much else to say. One by one.

My semi-finals predictions? Two happy teams playing for a national title the following weekend. Two unhappy teams watching and thinking of what may have been. One by one.

We have a little thing called the Fighting Sioux Sports Network. Our arenas have broadcast facilities built in. A couple of local cable systems take the feed directly off the satellite and put it out there. Plus, they've started (pay per view) webcasting of games also. It's select home football and basketball games and all home hockey games. Road games are hit-and-miss based on whether or not that team has broadcasts. PS - I'm pretty sure the Sioux weren't on broadcast TV in the western part of the state recently because of teams in the NAIA playoffs they were covering. This weekend? Don't believe any television schedule until game time. Things like this come through later in the week. The Al: Home to Fighting Sioux Football The Ralph: Home to Fighting Sioux Hockey (and soon basketball)