The Sicatoka

tony: I know you asked "Stars," but I'd like a swing at an answer too. The NCAA is supposed to be about "student-athletes." From my view, the NCAA is now more about "The Benjamins" than anything. Should there be a probationary transition period? Probably. But should it be longer than the traditional period that an undergraduate education takes (four to five years)? No. Why? It's supposed to be about the student-athlete, isn't it? Let the schools move up. Let them become tourney eligible in three to four years. The big schools won't like it, but they will like this: A school moving up reaps no fiscal rewards from the NCAA (like a piece of the TV money) from the move up (except for actual expenses accrued in NCAA tourney play if applicable) for ten years. Let the kids play. The probations are all about money. But there's a bigger problem at work here and I've mentioned it before: The NCAA hasn't kept up with the times. Moorhead and Crookston now have some resources to fund athletic scholarships. DIII doesn't allow that. What are their options? NDSU and UNC see DII being diluted by the Moorheads and Crookston (not that I'm picking on them, just using them as examples). They see their only option as moving up. But moving up causes similar effects to the Division I pool. The problem is that the NCAA hasn't adapted since the Divisions were set up in the early 1970s but athletic department fiscal realities at all levels have radically changed since the 1970s. (Case in point: Old Engelstad Arena at UND cost $2 million to build in 1972. It costs just under $2 million annually to run the hockey program at UND today.) If I could influence the NCAA some of my ideas would be: - Let DIII provide scholarships. - Make real minimums (like support budget minimums, not number of sponsored sports minimums). - Evaluate an "all sports IAA" level to let the huge schools (with $80 million annual athletic budgets like Ohio State) have a league of their own. - Maybe re-evaluate this "school" approach to a "sport at the school" approach allowing more than one mens and one womens program to "play up a level." The NCAA has failed to keep up with the times and has failed its members on this issue. I'm pretty sure both UND and NDSU can agree on this. Where they differ is on what is the best solution and course of action.

I look at that table and a particular sentence comes to mind: Thirteen years. What are "student-athletes" supposed to learn from that? Of course quoting that part of the sentence wouldn't be complete without quoting this part: I still believe that if SDSU goes, UND may find themselves in a position where the best choice is to move up. Those quotes came from Dr. Kupchella's Statement on Division I. (And please remember, Dr. K was requested to publicly state UND's position by a western ND legislator. You don't say "no" to an elected official, especially one that has power over your State funding.)

OK, I can be the same way I guess. I got the license from the above. NDAC? Good gravy man, who here was alive when the North Dakota Agricultural College became NDSU? Half? Less? And no FargoDome? Why would UND not want FargoDome. UND is 4 and 1 in there! Next thing you'll be telling us is that you actually believe in "The Vast Fighting Sioux Conpsiracy" theory about FargoArena too. (That's the one where it was all of the UND alumni in Fargo voting no on the ballot so NDSU couldn't add hockey. The catch is that if you look at the by precinct polling results from that vote, the district that NDSU resides in and votes in (at the Union) voted more no than the rest of the city.) Again, tony, you seem touchy about all this. What's up? It sounds like NDSU is well on its way to its master plan of Division I status. Why are you so concerned about lil' ol' UND? What has UND (not this privately operated 'net board) done lately that's riled you up?

Here's a link to the box score: http://www.collegehockeystats.com/0203/box...es/mndkstc1.n08 Palmiscno served for Blais' stick-trick. I still wonder what Connelly said. I've crossed, "I love you Donny!" off the list of possibles.

Anyone know what Ryan Connelly said from the bench to Don Adam to warrant a 10 minute misconduct on Friday night?

Folks, The NCAA allows you to "play up" in one mens and one womens sports as long as that sport is NOT football or basketball. That's how UND, SCSU, MSU-Mankato, and UM-Duluth play DI hockey (mens and womens).

kr: I think she actually prepared for that interview. That's why I it may have been her best. (And Brian Canady being a good interviewee sure didn't hurt.) Her voice goes to that higher squeak (that is horrible over a PA) when she is flustered or trying to go too quickly. Those things show a lack of preparation. She needs to realize that the arena around her may be loud, but she has a microphone. She can talk normally to it. She doesn't have to semi-yell like you or I would talking directly to each other. I'd volunteer, but as someone told me once, I have a face for radio.

Early 20s. She's doing pre-game and period break "Inside the Game" segments plus MC-ing on-ice stuff like the NW Airlines ticket shot. Her microphone presence is poor. She yells (let the microphone and the PA do the work, please) and her voice, in my seldom humble opinion, is too high for PA work. (You need that low, bass PA voice in a big arena. See Scott Hennen.) I don't think she preps any notes (for her live shots) before the game nor does she pre-read anything she'll be doing (like the NWA ticket game, etc). I think the best she's ever done is the Canady interview, and Brian carried 90% of that. As a person who was sitting behind me last year said, "Boy, is she ever blonde." OK, that may have been harsh but I feel better. Something like the NHL's "Hockey Rules" would be good. I spent a period explaining icing to a couple of "our neighbors gave us these tickets and we've never seen hockey before" one night. When I looked up it was 2-0 Niagara! With all of the "new fans" in The Ralph, it couldn't hurt. U2Bad1: I've sat upper and lower decks. I prefer the upper. Better sound (no problems for me) and a better view of the Daktronics boards. However, if I were still an "energetic" student, the lower would be more fun.

Anybody but Katie O'Keefe. How about her dad Tim? He could talk, show, demonstrate, and then (as the new Executive VP of the UND Foundation and Alumni Association) put in a plug or two for us to donate!

You know, JBB, there's really not much I can disagree with you on this time. You make a well reasoned case. Let me follow down with my points (while reading yours). I can see and understand your concern regarding another FB scholarship number reduction. You sound sure that it's going to happen (based on history). We'll find out in 2004. Is Winona funding the max NSIC scholarships? I don't remember but I don't think they're even doing that. And I'm not holding my breath for UN-Kearney. Their travel isn't good either way (RMAC or NCC) and they're the closest RMAC. And I definitely do not see Augie and UMD approving New Haven to the NCC. The travel would be outrageous. If you're going to spend the bucks to travel that far ... , yes, I see your point. The scenarios? If SDSU goes all of it comes into play: UNO has whispered MIAA if the NCC melts down; Augie is probably a better fiscal fit with the NSIC. You've also caught another part of the situation here too, call it "Goldie Syndrome." Minnesota takes good care of Goldie Gopher, but the others (UMD, SCSU, MSUM) seem to starve relatively. It's like what happened in Wisconsin where the Legislature there said UW is DI and all the other state schools are DIII. (They form their own ten-team DIII league.) Heck, back to scenarios, the NSIC could become just like the DIII league in Wisconsin, but DII and nearly all Minnesota. But here's where we'll have to maybe disagree. UND is getting "fairly adequate" DI exposure with hockey. (In the last month there have been articles at ESPN.com, NYT, and a bunch of others.) CSL said NDSU's budget of $5.1M would have to go between $6.7M and $7.9M at DI. That's a $1.6M to $2.8M increase. It costs $1.8M to run mens hockey and $0.5M to run womens hockey at UND. (The mens budget is one of the highest in the country.) Hockey at UND costs $2.3M. Cost-wise, hockey or DI, is a wash. Facilities? There's no suitable ice in Fargo (short of making the final modifications to the 'Dome for about $3M), but nor is there a DI caliber basketball arena (other than FargoDome). Dare I call that a wash as well? From that perspective, this was a football leads the decision thought process. That's fine. FB is NDSU's big dog and it's NDSU's choice to make. And yes, SDSU finds itself in somewhat similar straights. Like I've said all along, I've seen some interesting positioning by UND of late. They appear to be preparing themselves for a potential scenario where DI(AA) is their better option due to the events around them.

Send them an email to let them know and see if you can't get a rise out of them. Attention Bismarck and Minot advertisers: James Massen's hometown: Bismarck Quinn Fylling's hometown: Minot

Your best bet would be KFGO 790 AM out of Fargo. Most games are on there. (Some games get preempted to 1280 AM by other programming but I believe that UND hockey gets precedence in the winter over the Wild and T-pups.) Your next best would be KFYR 550 AM out of Bismarck. (That low AM frequency travels 'forever' in night atmosphere.) You may have an outside shot at 96.1 FM out of Grand Forks. Then again, going to UNDAlumni.org and grabbing the streaming audio (Listen to Games) is an option too.

Bryan and David are brothers. SCSU's Andy is a cousin to them.

You know, if you, as a player, are gonna "throw 'em" with someone: (a) make sure it's for a solid reason, and (b) make sure you can use the "Canady quote" (Yeah, but you should see him!) afterwards.

Go here: http://www.fightingsioux.com/sports/footba...asp?GAME_ID=142 and then touch "Individual Stats." You'll find: Field goal attempts ---------------------------------------- Jeff Glas 2nd 10:12 44 yds - Missed Jeff Glas 3rd 07:17 49 yds - Missed Jeff Glas 4th 06:20 37 yds - Missed

Not to rub salt in the wound, but Glas missed three FGs and Mahmoud fumbled away (at the one, in the third) what should have been his fifth TD of the game.

..... and who the tally is being kept against.

I like how the NJ paper has their goalie from Fargo playing his "hometown" team.

Shots? This is how it was explained to me one time. A shot is an attempt to move the puck toward the net in an attempt to score. Any number of things can happen from there. - It can go "wide" or "off target." - It can be blocked by the defense. - It can be a "shot on goal." Those are either saves or goals. To be considered a "shot on goal" however, it must also have been on its way into the net (hence, "on net") and not going "wide." That's where some judgement comes in (gloving a wide shot to stop play isn't really a shot on goal or a save). Of course, "in an attempt to score" is kind of arbitrary too. A dump in just wide is just a dump. If it's on net, it's a SOG (and hopefully not worse than a save). The total "shots on goal" must equal saves plus goals, or SOG = Sv + G. Total shots = Wide + BBD + SOG = Wide + BBD + Sv + G. An algebra quiz will follow.

Wyoming, Air Force, Notre Dame, and Minnesota. http://www.UND.edu/org/ds/Sports/sports%203.html Interesting. Very interesting.

Here's the Fylling article: http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/s...rts/4408971.htm Links to Friday's GF Herald articles are in http://siouxsports.com/forums/index.php?ac...eb3fef5d19781b5

Gotta have the photos.

Today in the Herald: http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforkshe...ald/4417818.htm http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforkshe...ald/4417817.htm and on ESPN.com http://msn.espn.go.com/ncaa/s/2002/1031/1453647.html

SDSU may announce that their intention is to stay at DII. Wasn't it you, JBB, that said on another board that after seeing SDSU's finacial situation that you weren't so sure any more of them moving up? How do you see that possibility affect NDSU if at all? I thought NDSU was due to present information to BSC in October. Did that move to November? The BSC publicly stated position (not officially looking to add) hasn't changed recently, has it, or did I miss it? I'll agree wholeheartedly with you on one point: The Big Sky is probably going to wait on any moves until the 2004 NCAA meetings where they look at all the requirements for status in a Division. There are some IAs that are likely to be forced down to IAA due to the "game attendance" requirements (Idaho, Western Michigan, and a handful of others). Idaho could end up needing a new home after that and I'd be willing to bet that Big Sky would love to re-add them to the middle of their geography.

There's that echo of an awards committee that doesn't exist again. Kinda spooky. It must be a Halloween thing. And JBB, I like you much better when you post things like at http://www.bisonville.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaB...065896;start=15 You know, you don't have to pull the thesaurus out to post over here. Most of us eschew sesquipedalian obfuscation.