The Sicatoka

tony: Your questions are more than fair. First, GF (city) is 49,300+ people alone (2000 census). That times your "$25k" and that's about $1.25 billion dollars. Are you sure you have the right numbers? The rational explanation follows Fargo's explanation for building FargoDome: If you build it they will come. Right? The knock on GF has always been "nothing to do up there." Well, now there's something to do there. The chances for getting new business and industry improves. That is also part of the "build FargoDome" rationale, yes? Why not give it a shot? The Hyslop (north half) was built in the 1920s. I'm sure you've been in it. It has its problems. The 1997 flood, the June "flashflood" (same one put 12' of water in FargoDome), and general wear has cause some issues with the old REA. (Whoever came up with the idea of creating a building with an exterior designed to rust?) It sounds like UND wants to bring old REA down and use the space for something else. (Past Herald story.) Regarding seats and the city: Alerus 13500, REA 11406, so, no, you can only seat about half of Grand Forks. The other half, and EGF, and everyone else, has to stand. Remember, Alerus is the city's, not UND's. Hyslop holds 5000. Old REA held 6067. Being a little tongue in cheek, but from the news report "no taxpayer dollar will be harmed in the making of a new arena." REA must have the funds or they wouldn't offer. "Hey, I think that we've got enough infrastructure now?" --- When has Fargo ever said that? Oops, April of 2000. Sorry.

I hope they can set that "taste" aside and close the season in the manner that I would choose. No matter how they close the season, however, I hope they use that "taste" over the summer as a motivator to make things right next year. Adversity happens. I'm interested in seeing how it is responded to.

Let me ponder aloud (sort of) some aspects to this: First, going any smaller than the current Hyslop is not a good idea in my opinion. However, they can't go too much bigger or the "why not play at Alerus?" question comes into play. Solution? About 5000 seats. Not all have to be fixed seating. Why not have some "mobile seating" that could be shared with the Olympic hockey rink? Going to the REA site offers built-in televising capabilities. You can use the existing control rooms and up-links. All you have to do is set cameras and run the cables. That matters. Why? Broadcast rights equal revenues. Another aspect of going to the REA site: Beer, and that also equals revenues. (Remember, positive revenues from REA go back to UND. Remember the check for womens hockey last fall?) The Ralph has the best training facilities around. If you want to grow the BB/VB programs (nodakvindy mentioned "DI potential") access to those facilities is key. With the size of those facilities, 20-some hoopsters and a dozen volleyballers isn't going to make much of a difference in equipment availability. And, last time I looked, there is still "undesignated space" that could be made into training areas in the ice level of REA. Is there an indoor running track around the Olympic rink right now? Will there be? There's another training facility. Who knows why types of training facilities (or athletic office space) may also be planned for such an expansion. The ice in the main arena is a problem right now. Let's get that primary problem fixed. Then let's see what putting a court on and off it will do. Still, I see the Kohl Center model and I don't like what it's doing for Wisconsin. So .... Play the majority of the BB games in the new facility. (I like "full houses.") The coaches like to play where they practice. Let them. Part of the problem with REA right now for the BB teams is it doesn't feel like "home" when they play there. Getting them more time in "the facility," even if its just using the training spaces, even if most games are played in a new arena, will make the main arena floor seem more like home. Also, wouldn't you bring the current Hyslop floor to the new arena? I'd guess you'd use that in the main REA arena for games played in there as well. (I know coaches aren't fond of the current REA court.) Other thoughts?

Not to be too much of a downer here, but how effective is a guy who has been out for two months going to be in the playoffs? I can't imagine, considering the nature of his ailment, that he is in game shape.

Are we sure who the WCHA ROY is. From HobeyBaker.com (as of the time of this posting):

I agree. Building it any smaller than Hyslop doesn't make sense.

Well here's a new twist to the whole conversation: UND eyes 'Ralph' expansion Highlights (from the GF Herald): - $7 million basketball/volleyball venue attached to the west side of Engelstad Arena's Olympic-size ice sheet building - NDSBHE gave the go-ahead to UND administration to negotiate with REA - 3,200-seat capacity for basketball game days; options could allow for seating up to 4,000 - No state money is needed for the project, financing would be handled by REA - Kupchella told the board that it's his understanding if men's and women's basketball moved to Ralph Engelstad Arena and the proposed expansion, most of their games would be played in the large 12,000-seat hockey arena (not sure how much I like that) The article includes discussion on options for Hyslop if this were to happen. I guess a wellness center just north of REA makes a little more sense now.

Simple things at this point: - cheer for those ahead of UND in the PWR to win (it's tough to catch people in PWR unless you win) Closer to home, I'd actually like to see Minnesota beat MSU-Mankato and then have MSU-Mankato lose to UMD in the third place game (on short rest, assuming CC beats UMD). Look at the PWR. That would maybe set MSU-M below UND (rather than a tie).

The 16 teams are: - six conference tournament winners (WCHA, CCHA, ECAC, HEA, MAAC, CHA) get auto-bids - the ten highest ranked teams in the Pairwise Rankings that do not have autobids

Or Alabama-Huntsville.

Maybe we'll just agree to disagree on this: Was it inevitable versus don't you try one more time. RT has given the signal that DII may make the move to "tip the balance" of UND's mindset (see above). Believe it or not, that would probably work more in NDSU's favor. I know Bison fans don't want to hear this, but UND would probably be a better DI "travel partner" for NDSU (versus SDSU). Logistics in and out of Grand Forks are better than those in Brookings (having to go through Sioux Falls). That matters to outside conferences. Being able to show outside conferences certain facilities in Grand Forks versus Brookings would matter as well. Conference? Who knows. Maybe Big Sky wants to go to 12 teams so it could split east/west. All we are doing is speculating. Based on articles in papers however, BSC seems interested in seeing if the NCAA is going to push Idaho back down to IAA (because of FB attendance criteria). They also seemed more interested in UCD (because of SacSt). UNC would be logical as would Southern Utah, based on geography (maybe not logistics). I know the BSC didn't flat out say "no" to NDSU and SDSU but they told them to "explore other options." That, to me, almost reads as a polite way of saying the same thing. Bison Kent: If I were to guess, I'd guess that the further west the current BSC member is the more against "eastern" (meaning Dakotas) expansion the school is. And before anyone jumps on me with all of this, yes, I'm still terrified of the vast unknown of money/costs.

Consider it an attempt to "embrace diversity" if it makes you feel better.

Playing hooky today? Careful, someone may tell the truant officer at school.

Those remarks could also be spun (as you are spinning) as, "We hope that DII realizes what it is doing to itself and stops. We'll point it out one last time and try to convince them to stop." Spinning that as lack of leadership would be just as easy as spinning NDSU's approach as being quitters (on a long, past positive relationship) when they don't get their way. I'm tired of spin. You chose to ignore the Thomas statement that is the first sign of softening on the issue by any official of UND, namely, "But it (further reductions) also might tip the balance because we're surrounded by the schools that are looking at Division I-AA football" When he says "tip the balance" what do you think he means? What is dishonorable about making an attempt to salvage something that has worked in the past? Back to the "diplomacy" analogy, don't you keep talking and trying until it is rock-solid sure that nothing else will work? Until a vote happens it's not inevitable. UND should be saddened (not shocked because of history) if it happens, because they tried to make another case and no one listened. It's not certain until the vote happens. (However, I'd bet the same way you'd bet. I hope you're not surprised.) Claiming UND's leadership "scuttled" the effort is spin. Do you believe a DI(AA) NCC was realistic, UND taking the position they did or not? The enthusiastic, fond of the NCC and nostalgia, side of me believes it would be possible and a good thing. The pragmatic side of me crashes me to reality, namely because .... Most of the NCC just can not afford a move to DIAA. USD took its stance, without having DI hockey, because of budget concerns. (Yes, SDSU took a different stance.) Augustana? See USD. Minnesota (the state) is running a $4,200,000,000.00 budget deficit and is cutting higher ed funding. Where can SCSU, MSU-Mankato, and UM-Duluth find more revenue to fund it? And with Creighton in Omaha and UN-Lincoln just 60 miles away, would the state of Nebraska fund it for UN-Omaha? UNO made statements about going to the MIAC (DII) rather than going IAA. A "best scenario" from the beginning would have been UNC, NDSU, SDSU, USD, and UND. That's five, and five does not a new conference make. What would be your solution?

St. PAUL, Thief River FALLS, it'd be an easy mis-hear off the tube. Engelstad is a former UND goaltender and UND graduate ('54) with a degree in business. http://www.ralphengelstadarena.com/ralph.html

I haven't heard much about Fabian lately either. Mentioning Topeka, anyone heard anything about Sedevie's recovery status?

How about a loud yell of "You've got NOTHIN'!" after the last opposing starting player is announced?

The surface of the earth. And yeah, at Target (or REA since Christmas) would be slush.

tony: Yeah, you could look at it that way. You could also look at it that NDSU gave up before the last fight, when it didn't get its way, and UND is trying one last push for a "diplomatic" solution to salvage DII. It's all in how we choose to spin it. Rather than wasting effort spinning, let's look at what was said. I think you'll like that because it will vindicate a great deal of what you have postulated. Note carefully Roger Thomas' words: That, I believe, is the first sign that UND is quietly considering breaking away from DII and assuming a DI(AA) path. Combine those words, the current reductions under consideration, and the hockey conference fiasco that was discussed here earlier this winter, and I can see where at least considering it has to come into play. UND is one letter (and two faxes of it) away from being in its provisionary year (2003-2004 season) similar to NDSU. They have until late August. It should be an interesting summer. On that I'm sure you'll agree. Let me ask you about this: Mr. Brand (the former Indiana president who fired Bob Knight) is the president of the NCAA, all of it. I'm not sure how you connect his statement with DII leadership. Could you expand on that? I don't want to read something into your statement that isn't there. Thanks. One last thought (and I know tony hates weasel-words) but let me go back to President Kupchella's position paper once again:

Mentioning league-only stats for a league award ... Freshman Scoring: Player Team GP PPG G- A- P Vanek UMn 28 1.18 15-18-33 Parise UND 26 1.23 16-16-32 One point back in two fewer games (with a better PPG)? Not bad. (Zach was at the WJC for two league games.) Like I posted over at POI: I just realized that North Dakota fans are claiming an 18-year-old, straight from his senior year of high school, American (better yet, Minnesotan), should win the WCHA ROY and Minnesota fans are claiming an older than 18-year-old freshman, who came from juniors, who isn't American (much less Minnesotan), should win the WCHA ROY. I think I've now seen it all.

Sadly, by the end of the season they were back to marching to the old clutch-and-grab is OK beat. Watch a few minutes of an NHL game on TV. There is far less obstruction in the NHL these days when compared to any of the DU/UND games last weekend. In a way I believe it to be an advantage. If UND is shipped to an eastern regional where C&G is not as common and called more often, think how light the guys will feel without an extra 200 pounds attached to them.

YaneA: If it was real, it wouldn't bother me as much. 'Siouxrock' posts in both a near gibberish form and then can come out with near perfect grammar, spelling, and punctuation at other times. Obviously one is an act. 'schmidtdog' says that he believe the act reflects poorly on GFRRHS (his alma mater). I believe the act reflects poorly on all of us because of the 'Siouxrock' posting name. That's what bothers me. About the question: 'Siouxrock' posted, then deleted, a statement that they "knew more about hockey" than anyone else here. I challenged it with that question. No YaneA, I won't be asking you, or anyone, why the torpedo system was developed (or when to send a runner from third base ) unless a similar situation arises.

farce_poobah: Your hard hockey question. What surface is the game played on?

'Siouxrock': Why'd you take down your post where you said you knew more about hockey than another poster? I just finished the question: In the style of hockey used by certain teams, the fullback (in this case we'll say the left fullback) goes behind the net to retrieve the puck. (1) What is the name of this style of play? (Yes, there is a style that plays with fullbacks. Name it.) (2) What is the libero's (in this style, that's the name given to another position) defensive responsibilities in this situation? (3) Why was this style of play developed? (4) Who has used this style of play? (You only have to name one team.) Questions are great fun.

Where do I go to take "PCM" on that bet?