The Sicatoka

It’s Denver. It’s Colorado.

Of course it’s free; they have to give away that product.

I don't recall any of Bubba's prior seasons having this many injuries; and, last year there really weren't all that many. I'm not sure how to measure "injuries", but, I suspect this season was what is called in statistics circles "a return to the mean" meaning we probably were below the long-term average for a couple years and this year it went markedly back above. Remember: the average isn't average; the average is the average of the highs and lows. All that said, what this year exposed first and foremost is a glaring lack of ability to cover an injury (meaning a real lack of depth).

First goal tonight will be big. If it's DU they're off to the races. If it's UND they'll start to put more and more pressure on the DU defense: make them turn and skate and pressure the youngin's.

I'm thinking the kid may have had skates put on by the OB/GYN that delivered him.

Who owns the GF Herald? Forum Communications. Who owns WDAZ-TV? Forum Communications. I'm guessing they were using 1/3 of the downtown building. The article said 50 employees in a building capable of 150. They don't even print there; that's done in the industrial park west of I-29. I'm purely guessing now, but I suspect that there's space available in the WDAZ building on South Washington. Consolidation under a single roof would save Forum Comm overhead costs (pun intended). Plus, the more valuable facility to sell (plus easier to move out of, meaning not having to move broadcast gear) is downtown.

Which could well be a statement about the current 97/98 recruits. Side note: Grant Cruikshank's mother is US gold medal speed skater Bonnie Blair. Actually, both parents are US Olympic speed skaters.

Shamelessly stolen from Schloss: That says to me UND is going to look to dump and pressure (make them turn and skate and win pucks along the wall) a very young DU defensive group.

I see someone put out the bait ... The only 'poll' that matters is the 'pole' you raise a championship banner on.

Like I said in the 2018 Season thread, The offense needs to progress beyond the plays in the White and Blue groups in "NFL Challenge" (circa 1985), and especially so on first down. See NFL Challenge at 1:00 mark and 2:37 mark.

Lemme guess: Your all-time most-favorite-ist baseball pitcher ever was ... Jack Armstrong.

Given defense is their weakest area (of an admittedly strong team), that sure don't hurt UND.

First time I heard that name in a broadcast I thought the kid's name was "Lukas Savages". I wondered why they kept calling him by first and last name and thought he may have a brother on the roster. Nope. He's "Jarid Lukosevicius". I sure wish Woog was still doing games. I'd listen just to hear ol' Doug call him "Lukas Sid Vicious".

What I see at forwards is three seniors and Gersich and no Gornall. What I see in the forwards pipeline is a 97 (Keane) and three 98s (Weatherby, Mattson, Senden). What is more interesting is the gap in the forward pipeline: no 99s, but three each of 00s and 01s and two 02s. Is there a 00 who really is ready for college hockey as an 18 YO? Are there two (just in case one of the 97/98 don't keep improving)? Along that same thought process, at defense it's three 00s, an 01, and an 02. That said, the only flight risk (no seniors) I see is Wolanin.

Here's what I find interesting: Weatherby is a 1998 YOB. I'm trying to see where that fits in the pipeline.

He looks about 190 soaking wet. Then again, that's what we had a MikeLB most of this season ...

Devil's advocate here: Isn't that initiative and hard work what we want? Doesn't that initiative to work and develop move him up the depth chart.

I have only one critque/comment on your post. Carriage returns, paragraphs, please!

So, off-season homework list: - getting everyone healthy and strong - resetting the team culture; personally, as a fan I will not stand for any off-field issues - seven mountainous, mean, nasty, villainous offensive linemen - finding a group of four starting LBs that actually combined weigh over 850 pounds (about 950 would be good) - having the young secondary reflect on their seasons (good and bad) and grow from there - having a real two-deep and start on a three-deep - figuring out how to go beyond the offensive White or Blue group plays*, and especially on first down *See NFL Challenge at 1:00 mark and 2:37 mark.

"We don't know that." IALTO.

How in the world did I miss this little ditty? Let me guess, Section C, page 6, bottom near the fold. The lead on this one was buried: "UND moved strategically before making Athletics cuts." OCR is in and out in six months. That's as short as OCR will ever go. UND had all the ducks in a row and was expecting this and completely prepared and ready. And that's exactly why Baker Donelson was brought in. PS - Brad ('cause I know you're reading this) - the last paragraph of your article where you quote the last paragraph of both letters, that is what you call "boilerplate legalese". That is standard form letter from OCR; they have to officially close the inquiry and its scope. That's worth reporting just as much as "sun rose in east".

When I did my "by class" counts I looked at names. Normally, I'd recognize most of the seniors and juniors and about half the sophomores. The redshirt freshmen? Maybe a couple names and the rest would be remembering back to signing day two years ago. This time through I swear most of the sophomores and redshirt freshmen names I recognized and could mentally hear Jack Michaels say their name in a game (or lineup). And there are a lot of true freshmen that fall into that same category.

You're just bidding things up.

Um ... pesky facts: Sr: 22 Jr: 18 So: 21 RFr: 15 Fr: 24

They used to be "ketchup and mustard". Now they're just more bloody stool and dehydrated urine.