YaneA

I may have the Crappie/Crappy sign in the closet. I'm pretty sure I don't have the Briggs looking for his jock sign but I could make another. Thanks, dunker. If you PM me your seat #, I can leave a sign for you and for some friends. These are some ideas that occurred to me. For the inevitable penalty against Matt Greene: "It's Not Easy Being Greene" "Just Pulled a Groin (Possibly His Own)" For three Gophers in the penalty box: "2's Company; 3's a Porno" To counteract the M-I-N-N-E-S-O-T-A spelling bee: "M-E-D-I-O-C-R-E !" This would work better for Duluth, but they won't be here this year... "Minnesota-- Lake: Superior Team: Inferior" "Gophers: Half-Baked in Alaska" "[Heart] 2 H8 Go4s" "Pre-Fight Checklist: 1. Stick 2. Gloves 3. Shirt" Used this one last year against UAA but also works here: "Gopher: The Other Dead Meat"

I made most of the signs last year and passed them out to students willing to hold them up. The Gopher series inspired lots of people to make their own, which was great. I am willing to make signs again this year but I need to know who I can count on to hold them. As far as I know, the usual suspects from last year--Minnesota NorthStar (who sat behind the penalty box last year), Forecheck, Red Wing-- have been dispatched to the Upper Bowl. Any volunteers?

I like the idea of rush seating being available to students with IDs. Many students are on or near campus and could easily walk over to the Ralph. This doesn't solve the empty seat problem on school holidays, however.

15 minutes off the game clock is what I had in mind though I can see how that standard would slide based on TV time-outs, penalties, other stoppages, so maybe 15 minutes after the puck drops would be more predictable. Certainly, the point at which you declare a no-show is arbitrary but the goal is to fill the seat. It would be great if someone who knows in advance that he or she won't make it would do the work of finding a seat-filler but if that doesn't happen...

I have had no really unpleasant experiences at the Taj Mahockey. But, if I could hand-pick those who sit around me, I'd be making some changes! Aside from the atmosphere issues, my only real complaint has been the arbitrary scrutiny of security regarding the signs I made and carried into the arena last year. But that's not a butts-in-the-seats kinda deal. For that, I'd re-sell any seat empty 15 minutes into the 1st period, including student seats. And, if that were the plan, I'd make sure Tim Hennessey announces the availability of rush seats all through his pre-game show. I'd anticipate empty seats during school breaks and holiday weekends and promote accordingly. I'd also sell SRO, assuming no fire code violations. I'd promote the availability of single-game general admission, including tickets returned unsold by the opponent, to the public at large on game day if not earlier. Or I'd sell such seating at a discount to our corporate sponsors for them to give away to employees or customers. I don't think the problem is that fewer than 11,000 people want to be at any particular hockey game. The problem is no-shows. There ought to be some way for those who don't make it to be replaced by someone who'd be happy to be there. If the seat-holder shows up late, and a rush ticketholder has plopped down in the assigned seat, the latecomer gets shown to the SRO spot.

Sic-- What? No essay component to break ties in your "No Student Fan Left Behind" Plan?

<grumble, grumble, grumble> I did not get my tickets for the men's games yesterday. I assume that, having so many ticket books to mail, they had to do it in stages and mine should be waiting for me when I get home tonight.

I got season tickets for the women's games in the mail earlier this week. In previous years, they've arrived much closer to the first game. I am also a season ticket holder for the men's games but, so far, no men's tickets yet.

What is the "Sporting Event Atmosphere Committee"?

Redwing: Is this the one you're thinking of? OK GO LYRICS "Get Over It" Lot of knots, lot of snags, lot of holes, lot of cracks lot of crags. Lot of naggin' old hags, lot of fools, lot of fool scum bags. Oh it's such a drag, what a chore... oh your wounds are full of salt. Everything's a stress and what's more, well it's all somebody's fault. (Hey!) Get, get, get, get, get over it! [x3] Get over, get over it. Makes you sick, makes you ill, makes you cheat, slipping change from the till. Had it up to the gills... makes you cry while the milk still spills. Ain't it just a bitch? What a pain... Well it's all a crying shame. What left to do but complain? Better find someone to blame. (Hey!) Get, get, get, get, get over it! [x3] Get over, get over it. Got a job, got a life, got a four-door and a faithless wife. Got those nice copper pipes, got an ex, got a room for the night. Aren't you such a catch? What a prize! Got a body like a battle axe... Love that perfect frown, honest eyes... We ought to buy you a Cadillac. (Hey!) Get, get, get, get, get over it! [x3] Get over, get over it.

Dumb me! Should have bothered to read details provided before posting. The trip costs $789 plus tax, appears to include everything but meals.

I just got this e-mail from the Ralph. Anyone know what it costs to make the trip? NORTH DAKOTA @ MAINE OCTOBER 7-9, 2004 The Fighting Sioux fan's dream has come true. Next October 7-9, "Fly the Ralph" with the men's hockey team when they travel to the University of Maine for a 2-game series. This 3-day, 2 night package includes:

What I'd like to recommend is that people in the stands SING along with the national anthem. I'll grant you that when you have an on-ice singer who's turned the "Star Spangled Banner" into "God Knows What," this is not easy to do but I think we should try. There have been a few times at the Ralph when there seemed to be more participation than usual in the singing of our anthem and I gotta say, it gave me chills. I assume that Jackson always joins in and sings the song straight through from "Oh say" to "home of the [in his case] brave"?

Game time for Maine-BC is 6 p.m., Eastern Daylight; 5 p.m. Central Daylight. I'm sure the audio link will appear on the ESPN2 page closer to faceoff.

go to: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/index You'll see the audio link for the BC-Maine game

Thanks, PCM. I'll try that out at 11 a.m.

Does anyne know of a "listen live" internet link for today's Duluth-DU game?

Just wanted to make sure you'd gotten it and will wear it with pride. That's all I needed to know.

I haven't been able to reach you by e-mail so I'm trying this unorthodox approach. Did you receive the hat I mailed to you?

Thank you, NDH, for saying so eloquently what many Sioux Hockey fans are feeling. I love this team...I love 'em... I love 'em...I love 'em.

Shep, I think you mean Michael Ontkean, who was in the TV police drama "The Rookies" & "Slapshot" and not Paul Michael Glaser who was in "Starsky and Hutch" (on TV) but not "Slapshot."

In an earlier thread, we had fun at Doug Woog's expense speculating on whether or not he'd be able to pronounce the names of our recruits. I know Spirko is "Sper-o" but how does Zajac pronounce his last name? I did some internet research and came to the conclusion that, if he's Polish, like the Pope, it's "ZAH-yonts." Can someone confirm or correct this?

USCHO now reports the same Hobey hat trick of Parise, Lessard, Danis as earlier repoted on INCH.

Isn't this the day when the 10 finalists for the Hobey are narrowed to three? Anyone know when that announcement will be made?

My disappointment in the outcome of the game is just starting to subside, being palliated by the Gopher loss to UMD. Imagine the hell our lives would be if the Gophers three-peated? I wish the Bulldogs and the Pios luck in Boston. BC & Maine both look strong so it should be a great Frozen Four. Also want to thank my Sioux for another great year of hockey. I feel that they played their hearts out against Denver but it just wasn't meant to be. I'm proud of the effort the boys put forth on the ice and believe that what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. Next year can't come soon enough; "April in Columbus" sounds like a plan. Goodbye and good luck to the seniors--Ryan, Tyler and Lundy. Thanks for being part of our great tradition.