The Sicatoka

4 of 82 --> 5% of regular season games. In a 40 game season that's two games. If the league had any "gusto" they'd suspend him for one game this weekend and keep the other game as "yet to be enforced". The league would then "choose to enforce it" if UND and DU were to meet again this season. But that would make sense and make the punishment fit the offense. It'll never happen.

I see six conference games and conference playoffs long before any game is played in the West Regional. I guess I only see one game: Friday at Western Michigan.

If "I intended to blow the whistle" is a legitimate excuse for a referee to waive off a goal, why isn't it an excuse to call a retroactive penalty? "I intended to blow the whistle and call that hook on the Caggiula goal, so I'm calling it now as we go into OT." I probably shouldn't be giving them ideas.

Probably a safe assessment. What if ... http://siouxsports.com/hockey/whatif/

"We're bringing in that top-rated freshman recruit at center* because we're sure they'll be able to improve the quality of scholarly research in the physics department." *BB, hockey, or FB

http://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/3679289-after-life-changing-accident-und-hockeys-lisa-marvin-takes-her-days-one

And this is why the NCHC needs to become a development resource for officials. The USHL does it with USA Hockey. Officials are rated and graded, developed, and the best are advanced to the next levels. The best of the best rise up the ranks and appear in the NHL and international competitions. There's no reason the NCHC and college hockey in general shouldn't be a development platform for officials. College officials seems to have lifetime tenure with no fear of repercussion or worry of replacement.

I've already given my suggestion for a solution: http://boardsroom.blogspot.com I was at the game and texting with a couple people who were watching on TV and telling me how they could see all the mugging going on in front of the DU net that wasn't being called. Maybe if the officials had to see how their product was being viewed by the world they'd start to make the calls. Caggiula was hooked and hit in the head/neck with a stick when he scored. How do you not call that? Then again, what's wrong with a three, four, or five goal lead? When you go up by two goals you: a) Assume it's enough and go defensive shell mode b) Play to get the next goal, and the next, and the next, and the next. So what if you make the other team/coach look bad.

UND got all $10 million alloted to it. And it all went to academic endeavours. That's how the bill was written. I'm happy UND was able to do that.

To your point: Based on how that's written, Spear probably said "NMSU and high-end Big Sky schools" and the local writer filled in the names of local schools his readers would recognize. Side note: You need 8 full conference members to be an FBS conference. (UI, NMSU, UM, MSU, EWU isn't enough.)

1. Rob Port is somewhere between useful idiot and willing accomplice in Sen. Al Carlson's campaign to have the Legislature dismantle the State Board of Higher Ed and make the universities purely political pawns. 2. I don't care who you are: If you see someone about to leave money on the table and you can legitimately scoop up the money left behind ... YOU DO. To claim otherwise is intellectually dishonest. 2a. NDSU's fundraising arm was a dumpster fire, and I suspect it's still smoldering as it takes a while to clean up a mess like they had. They probably weren't well prepared for that State program. But unprepared or not, those "rules" are codefied as State Law. I'm not sure Lt. Gov. Wrigley can make that judgement call; I'm not sure that it's within his power, committee chair or not. State Law opinion and review normally happens through the AG's office or the courts.

Would Chris VandeVelde, Chris Porter, and Brad Malone be in the show today if they'd have played for Lucia.

http://www.valleynewslive.com/home/headlines/UND-Gets-Closer-to-Nickname-Decision-291855311.html

Someone in the Minnesota Vikings front office should be shown the picture of the LAK from last night and told: Take inspiration for a "third uniform" from this.

Allow me to translate that: Victim of own success. It's a terrible problem to have; it's a great problem to have.

So should I be watching this on the WatchBigSky app or on MidcoSN in HD?

https://twitter.com/gfherald/status/565932938274287616/photo/1 http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/3677553-crews-investigate-fire-und-construction-site

What the heck is going on up there people?

I guess it comes down to how hard the Legislature (or the bill/law authors) want to press it. Of course, the Legislature controls reauthorizing funding of this also.

Yup. But I'd like to see the conversation start up front: - Who'll take care of the blind side? - Who can pull to seal an edge? - Who'll give a consistent snap and still stalemate/push the opposing nose?

Hey, I'm not a "great football mind*", I just know when I watch football that the team that: - can't keep the opposing defense from running loose, wild, and free through the line of scrimmage into their backfield loses - can keep their QB upright and looking down field for five second or more, wins. Don't believe me? Look at the success formula for the guys in yellow hats and pants from Fargo. As I've said, they don't do anything exceptional; they do the fundamentals, line of scrimmage play, exceptionally well. *© Paul Allen, Nine To Noon Show, KFAN

Montana is ... < ahem > ... cracking down ... on the offenders. http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/291599111.html

Specialist...WR...blah-blah...RB...yadda-yadda...QB...wonk-wonk. <-- That's noise and chatter in case you don't "get it", and not the primary issue. Allow me to boil all of this down: Will our offensive line be more effective and productive at the start of this season than at the end of last season? If the answer is "yes", many of the QB and RB health and performance issues are taken care of by that alone. If the answer is "no", expect more of the QB and RB health and performance issues. Now, also, if the answer is "yes", I'm comfortable asking the next question: Will the defensive front seven be able to control opposing run games and be able to get pressure on the opposing QB within 3.5 seconds on passing plays? Please note the portion after the "and". Yes, the secondary still needs work (honk-honk... DB...yadda... <-- more noise), but, our secondary could be "Neon Deon", Rod Woodson, Ronnie Lott, and Paul Krause* and we'd still give up big chucks of passing yardage if we can't, as Bubba so quaintly puts it (paraphrased) 'Make the opposing QB the most uncomfortable person at the game, and his mother second most uncomfortable.' So that's my "Two Deep": 1. Is our offensive line better? 2. Is our defensive front better? That's two and that's all the deeper I need to get to know if it's going to get any better. *Went "old school purple" on y'all there.

Jets Rob Bank, Lose Headache

Wow, I think the Jets got "win-win" out of that deal --> dealt Kane (addition by subtraction) and got the better set of players/picks.