The Sicatoka

Could that be an admission that someone doesn't know the whole story but is throwing stones anyway? All I'll say about SDSU's situation is this: The SDSU CSL report says Brookings is in a mid-to-low socio-economic market compared to most of D-I. (That's both the city and the 75-mile region.) That sounds like a huge uphill fiscal battle to me. The profits from my "beverage" will be in the UND Athletic Department coffers. (They have to be making a profit off what they charge. )

Apparently hockey is not a contact sport where Gravelese comes from. The boos were aimed at him.

Too bad "Golden Arm" is not longer awarded. GG: 29-16-1 217 2TD 133.89 JB: 42-24-1 283 1TD 116.83 I report no matter the numbers.

Apparently your complaint isn't with UND, but with underfunded state schools in the "Land of 10,000 Rinks." So get on SCSU and MSU-Mankato, schools in a state that loves hockey, for being hinderances to SDSU's DIAA dreams. :p

Ralph Engelstad Arena, Inc., owns the building because the ND Legislature passed a law that says sports arenas can't be given to state schools unless they first show a profit. Thus, REA Inc., has to own it until it shows said profitability. Beginning in May of 2003 (per the GF Herald), profits from REA, Inc., will go directly to the UND Athletic Department. Just last month REA Inc. turned over a check to cover the entire costs of Division I womens hockey for this season. That was completely unexpected. Let's see, profits to UND, but losses (because the arena is privately held) are someone else's. Rough deal, eh? Where this fantasy that UND mens hockey costs the school money comes from I'll never know. It costs $1.8 million to run that program at UND. At $325 per season seat that means about 5550 season tickets to break even. They've sold out all the season seats and have a waiting list. That extra revenue is the funding source that drives the rest of the UND Athletics machine, not vice versa. There's a big difference between not liking hockey and being jealous of someone else's program.

UND may not own the building, but beginning in May of 2003 UND will receive all operating profits from it. That's after last year's operating profits were just given over to fund the first season of D-I womens hockey. Let's see, a building that if it turns a profit the funds are funneled into the UND Athletic Department, and if it loses money it is still privately owned and not affiliated with UND so the losses are someone else's (namely Ralph Engelstad Arena, Inc.). Why does REA give the profits to UND? Hint: three letters, I-R-S. Have an ice cream cone. I'll be in the Club Room having an adult beverage.

Your defensiveness takes away from the opportunity you have here to put forth the definitive case as to why NDSU is correct and UND is wrong. 'tony' is doing a nice job explaining why NDSU made the decision it did. And again, in the beginning I said this would make much more sense if a group of NCC schools all moved up together to cover the conference and costs parts of the equation. You've apparently moved somewhat into that realm with your "form a conference" idea. Who would you envision in the newly evolving conference?

Make up ten feet. Cover up an open man. Support the defense when they're down on the odd-man rush. He did the hard work when it needed to be done. That's called "leading by example." Any questions why that young man has a "C" on his jersey?

Yes, it does; specifically, you in the D-IAA thread.

Coach Blais would be the kind of boss that I'd want. He has expectations for you, no matter who you are. They are clearly defined. Meet them or accept the consequences*. Expectation, action, result. * Don't go to class? You run. And maybe the whole team runs with you. Don't put out a legitimate effort on the ice? He'll sit you, no matter who you are, and find someone who will.

First, JBB, you show your true colors with that extra K. Me, take "Golden Arm" seriously? You obviously don't know when you're being heckled and taunted. PS - Bowenkamp with two-in-a-row!

JBB: Yes, the four points of Carr and CSL are well thought out. Carr and CSL must have contrived those because those seem to parallel the concerns voiced by most. But, why did NDSU act before they had Point Four (conference) of Carr and CSL in hand? Was that well thought out? (If that's "argumentative," so be it. This is an open forum for debate.)

No more "Golden Arm" awards for Kelby. He'll have to console himself with this: Kelby Klosterman named National Scholar Athlete, receives $18,000 postgraduate scholarship http://www.fightingsioux.com/sports/footba...RELEASE_ID=1489

Ba-dump-bump .... ting! Nice, PCM, nice.

tony: I don't mean to flak you, but how well did the "Wood-Pups" draw at the FargoDome recently? 3323. That's well below what even I would have guessed. ( http://www.nba.com/games/20021008/MILMIN/boxscore.html ) Even compare Class B to Class A state tourney HS basketball turnouts (choose your location for comparison). Basketball is number two in interest behind FB in Fargo (not 'SU but the town), but it is a very distant second, especially compared to the FB vs BB interest in the rest of the state. Getting the level of interest up would be as big, if not a larger challenge, than the one that lies ahead in FB.

Analogy? How's this? The NCC is a group of greenskeepers at a semi-private course, call it DeeTwo. A couple of the greenskeepers, call them The Pucks, at DeeTwo also tend a couple of holes over at the larger, "more exclusive" DeeOne private course. The guys that don't tend holes on the side over at "DeeOne" see a lot pretty course over the fence at "DeeOne" and imagine how wonderful life at the well-manicured "DeeOne" would be. The Pucks, having walked a couple of fairways at DeeOne know first hand how tough and expensive keeping that entire course in competitive shape would be. And they know it's a much larger course with bigger obstacles to mow around. The semi-private DeeTwo course is taking a beating from a lot more traffic from "nouveau riche" people coming onto the semi-private course. All the NCC greenskeepers involved want to continue to be known as the best in the area, and especially better beyond compare than those over at the "North Sun" course. The Pucks maintain that staying at the current course and fixing the problems in the turf from the additional traffic is better. The non-Pucks say going over to DeeOne is the solution to keeping that top tier reputation even thought there are some powerhouse greenskeepers at DeeOne already and it'll be hard to outshine (out mow?) them. What's the solution? Better turf management at DeeTwo? Tougher rules on joining the semi-private DeeTwo? Just going to DeeOne and being "on the staff" in small letters behind premier greenskeeper "Duke Stanford"? I don't know. What's all this remind me? I forgot to fertilize my yard this fall and now it's too cold and too late. :p

I must have missed something (analogy?) that was edited out. Your point one I believe is the crux of the issue: The watering down of Division II. But then I'm forced to ask how will the "power" DIs respond to the influx of comparatively smaller, underfunded teams into DI? Comparing MSU-Moorhead to NDSU is like comparing NDSU to Minnesota. In each case, everything at the larger is nearly an order of magnitude larger. They (the power DIs) won't stand idly by just as UNC and NDSU (and assumably SDSU) didn't. I've said this before: I believe the NCAA is missing a level or needs to rework what they have. No scholarships in DIII is a problem. It may be the source of the whole problem. That's why many NAIAs are jumping right to DII. There's the "water down." (See above.) There is a real difference between the Big Ten and the Big Sky. There is a real difference between the Big Sky and the NCC. There is a real difference between the NCC and the NSIC. There is a real difference between the NSIC and the Dak-10. Where do I believe the smallest gap in that list is? Big Sky to NCC. Could the NCC compete against a lot of Big Sky schools in a lot of events? Yup. But could they against the SEC or Pac-10? Nope. Hey, a lot of the Big Sky would have trouble against the SEC or Pac-10 in most things. There's the missing level in my mind: A true, all-sports, mid-major level. It would be the small (DIAAs) and the power DIIs (the NCC). Sure Moorhead and Crookston want to give scholarships. That's great. But they just don't belong at the same level of the majority of NCC schools. Sure NDSU (and UND) are state flagship schools, but should they be at the same level in the "Olympic sports" as the Ohio State's (who spends $80 million annually on athletics)? An all sports, mid-major level appears to be missing. It used to be Division II but that appears to be changing. I believe the problem could also be characterized as the NCAA hasn't changed as quickly as the landscape of college athletics has changed. Many smaller, local to regional schools now have the resources to fund some, a few scholarships and DIII doesn't allow it, thus they move to DII. Thus begins the "watering down." (See above.) NDSU is responding as they deem appropriate. Apparently UND thinks DII can be salvaged by the NCAA in 2004. Who's right? We'll find out sooner or later.

"Because I can score on him." --- That is witty.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. That title is forever Sid Hartman's. I couldn't figure out why Connelly was just standing there until I saw the flash of black and heard the impact (in the upper deck). Matt Jones caught that puck by the length of the blade of his stick. The most important thing I take away from Tuesday night was the level of communication I heard amongst the players on the ice. Yes, from the upper deck I heard Spie, Lundbohm, and Genoway calling to each other for the puck. Actually, I think I heard every line talking out there. Part of that may have been 7100 fans (hey, it's an exhibition) but part of it is that these guys actually appear to be communicating and working together this early in the year.

I-90? I believe someone needs a new road map.

jim: I've heard words about conversations and meetings too. But when it comes to "rumors" or "sources," I've always had a preference for ink on paper.

OK, I'll play. Posit: NDSU has a conference affiliation all signed, sealed, and delivered. Why not announce it? NDSU doesn't want to admit who they have the deal with? The conference doesn't want to state they've added a team? Why not announce the deal?

Brian Canady said nothing .... nothing! "Yeah, but you should see what Greene looks like."

I only know what Gene Taylor told the State (via television) at halftime of the Sioux-Bison game: Taylor said that NDSU is still looking for a conference. If they had the last piece of that critical Carr/CSL action item list (mission, market survey, strategic plan, conference), why in the world wouldn't it be shown off?