johndahl

Nice call by NBC Sports sticking with the undercard game with a 5-0 score in front of an empty house instead of playing the start of the scheduled game...

Thanks for the updates

Considering my $400 SD95 pocket digital camera shoots 720p at 24 frames per second with a decent-sized image sensor and optical image stabilization, something that would have cost tens of thousands just a decade ago, I agree the day is probably coming sooner rather than later. Although the Canon lenses and Grass Valley cameras used for Wild broadcasts are still $50k+ a set, camcorder-style HD broadcast cameras that would do a decent job can be had for $5k-10k and would be useful for ice-level video, up-close interviews, etc. if they invested in better equipment down the road. Although two million for an HD OB van seems a little much, it would likely also cost well into six figures to equip a new HD van to do more than they can with their current SD productions. I think the real trigger will be when the local Grand Forks residents start to view SD broadcasts like black and white - unexpectedly obsolete for a modern broadcast. And I think that day isn't far off. John

Minnesota loses to Mich Tech in Ot, 3-2

I was a North Dakota scholar and a UND Presidential Scholar, and might well have left North Dakota for college and master's if not for the programs they do have. Moved to the Twin Cities after, though - the closest place I could find work.

Just saw this on the Strib: "One 16-year-old local hockey player who's headed for the U.S. National Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich., said he's already narrowed his college choices to Minnesota-Duluth and North Dakota and is passing on the Gophers because they're moving to what he considers an inferior conference - the Big Ten - in 2013. " John

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/By-2012-cream-cheese-may-no-longer-be-an-NCAA-v?urn=ncaab-wp4181 Just in case anyone thought logic and reason would be a determining factor in NCAA rule setting...

Roughriders seems by far the favorite, and by far the best option put forward. Great ties to the state, and a part of state, national, and presidential history. It's unique, so there won't be 10 other teams also called the "Eagles", and it's not some dumb generic name nobody can identify with like the Wild, the Freeze, etc. And I doubt Boston College is going to be all confused about whether to go play UND or a high school in the same town when they see Roughriders on the schedule, although the way Minnesota's been playing lately we could be kind and give them the option...

The "no trucks" sign really completes the picture...

UND moved up to #1 in PWR as soon as Yale lost, but PWR isn't a great measure anyway. The one that really impresses me, and shows UND's strength this year, is their Bradley-Terry/KRACH rating relative to the other "top" teams. John

Good point. Even though Dean Blais hadn't seen a replay, he was always more the type to focus on what his team could have done so that one bad call wouldn't change the result of the game than focusing on the official. He took his complaints to the league when appropriate (Don Adam ring a bell?) rather than try the issue in the press. I would enjoy him seeing more success during his tenure at UNO. John

OK, here's rule 60, copied directly from the NCAA Hockey rule book for this year. Note specifically that it requires conclusive video evidence. There's a long history of rule interpretations saying probably or most likely doesn't cut it, and is not grounds to overturn an on-ice call of no goal. RULE 6 / PLA YING RULES HR-93 Video Replay SECTION 60. The use of video replay is permissible in any game using either of the following procedures: a. NCAA Championship Procedures. 1. In order to reverse an on-ice ruling, the replay must include conclusive video evidence. The rules appendix also states that the decision should be made in two minutes or under. The fact that it took five times that long suggests the video evidence was anything but conclusive.

Exactly. Doesn't matter if it was probably went over the line, most likely went over the line, etc. If there's not clear and undisputable visual evidence on replay that it was completely over the line, the only correct call according to the rules is that the original ruling cannot be overturned. The fact that there appears to many to be a high probability that the puck was entirely over the goal line at some point is completely irrelevant according to the replay rule, and is not sufficient grounds to overturn a "no goal" call on the ice, according to the replay rules. UNO therefore did get robbed, based on the rules, by having the game ended by an Official who made a call that was inconsistent with the rules because he thought he knew better.

No, I don't see how you can't understand this. The spirit and letter of the law are both that you have to clearly and unambiguously see the puck entirely over the line for it to be a goal. It's no more complicated than that.

No it doesn't. As others have said, if it "may not have been conclusive" it's not a goal.

They've apparently changed the standard from "clearly crossed the goal line" to "coulda maybe sorta probably crossed the goal line if I had to guess, considering it's OT and I have dinner reservations".

Judges still don't want to make decisions they know will be overturned on appeal, so tend to try to get stuff like this right. Still' their "fair use" argument might be harder to make than an argument that they didn't actually harm the party suing them.

Yep, it's Pairwise rankings they use. The selection committee will, however, sometimes move teams around to avoid having teams in the same conferences play each other, or to put teams likely to draw fans in regionals near their homes.

Odd that Denver and ND are in the same region. I wonder if some were trying to ensure that another WCHA-only tournament doesn't occur by putting Merrimack in the Northeast instead of Denver? Swapping Merrimack and Denver would also bring the Northeast regional from two Hockey East teams to one...

Thanks. On-ice photos were a little blurry this time, as the autofocus on the short lens decided to turn itself off...

Photos of the WCHA championship are up at: http://siouxsports.com/hockey/galleries/168.htm as always, click on any photo for a full-size version. John

WCHA Tournament, Sioux v. CC Semifinal, 4-3 Win: http://siouxsports.com/hockey/galleries/167.htm As always, click on any photo for a full-size image. John

Players shouldn't need a "liason" to their coach. Especially someone like Hill.

No, go ahead. An attribution to Siouxsports.com would be nice. PM me if you want a high-res version of any of them.

http://siouxsports.com/hockey/galleries/166.htm Click on any thumbnail for a 1024x768 photo