The Sicatoka

I smell the NYG "Phil Simms / Jeff Hostetler" problem circa fall 1991: You have the contracted and anointed starter go down and the back-up come in and ... so then what the following fall camp? The differences then to now? The anointed one in Philly has no SB championship as a starter (Simms did from 1986) and the back-up hasn't won the Super Bowl ... yet. Think the Vikings will sign-and-trade one or more of their QBs to PHI for Foles to be the 2018 starter?

Maybe they need to create a Tom Brady Bowl trophy. It goes to the team that wasn't the Patriots that made the Super Bowl during the Tom Brady era.

And if you know him he has the demeanor I like in defensemen: calm, unflappable.

The only thing worse than the Vikings offense yesterday? The Vikings defense.

C'mon Cratts, get it right.

If you look at the Midwest region (Mark Schill at Praxis Strategy Group Grand Forks has them) Fargo and Bismarck are the top two growing metro areas. They're at outrageous (unsustainable?) levels. But just a few slots down the list is Grand Forks. It's well above the regional average growth. It's well above peer cities except for (wait for it) Fargo and Bismarck. By comparison, St. Cloud is below the regional mean for growth. If all you can do is stare at Fargo and Bismarck, you're missing that Grand Forks is growing at an impressive and sustainable pace.

No. I believe it was that Roger Thomas lacked a growth mindset. I've said before Fargo is aggressive (cocksure) to a fault and Grand Forks is conservative (self doubting) to a fault. I hereby update that to Fargo's "growth mindset" dominates to a fault and Grand Forks' "fixed mindset" dominates to a fault. I strongly recommend folks read Dweck's book (linked above).

Dude, you are so last week.

1903 to 2018 --> 115 years covered by 15 people. That's 7.67 years average. Seems about right.

I've had some strong mentors.

< slaps forehead for missing that >

Questions for Chaves came slow (Kennedy joked not that easy on him). First question on his background and family. Not about him but university and student-athlete. Born in New England, Red Sox, Celtics, and WHALERS fan. < play Brass Bonanza here > This is a big deal for many and he understands that. Kennedy, Chaves going to Fargo for BB game and visit with NDSU president and AD. Was at Quinnipiac, UMass, Northeastern. Mainly spent time with junior game recently (Spokane Chiefs). (compliments REA facility) Getting other sports to another level. UND not a teenager in DI yet. Kennedy acknowledges Danielle Irle going on. Kennedy give Chaves a green hockey jersey (with 16?)

Chaves: < thanks band, cheer team > Heard name pronounced many ways over his 51 years, but now, Chaves rhymes with Toews ... Thank yous: Kennedy, search committee, Carr Sports Associates and Bill Carr, EWU, Cheney/Spokane, Faison and his department, Humbled, honored, exciting opportunity, To Summit, rekindling rivalries. How do I make decisions? Is it good for student athlete, the department, university, State. Asks athletes to earn degree, be a leader in action, do their best in a short time. How can we lift everything up? Likes the One UND strategic plan. Listening tour to hear constituencies. Listen, then activate. Faculty, staff, athletics platform to grow UND Community: looking forward to knowing and working with Alums: make you proud. Actually admitted and held up alumni fundraising arm sticker! Wha-the ... Choked up talking about family. Ten years at EWU, expects that here.

< opening platitudes by Kennedy > Kennedy on Chaves: Knows what it takes to win FCS championship Improved BB at EWU Attract good coaches and students...

The pep band and cheer team? And Peter Johnson batting lead-off? < facepalm >

Idalski's notion to hire a Swedish assistant to recruit Nordic Olympian Euros seems to have badly backfired. They didn't deliver. In retrospect, it's very easy to speculate he'd have been better off mining MN Section 8, ND, and the North American prep schools for players.

I learned long ago: The first line item in your job expectations is: train your replacement. The second line item is: learn your next job so you're ready when you're needed. If you haven't trained your replacement, and learned enough for the next job, you'll never move up.

Dude, driving a long round trip in -20F or worse ...

How many miles round trip are you driving?

Not in at least two years. Gave up on the narrow-minded xenophobia.

I think about posting there and tony has me locked down.

Did they include ads on hockey jerseys? @MafiaMan is a huge fan of ads on hockey jerseys.

It's a generational thing. The age group that grew up with "on demand programming" and streaming and monster TVs in their homes isn't as likely to attend a game in person. And those folks are starting to enter the prior generations' ticket buying ages. Throw in that the last couple home series weekends have been ugly-cold and there's what you're seeing.

We'll choose to not use the same modus operandi as your home board, thank you.

I admire your honestly. Streveler is better than Stick.