DamStrait

Yes, but perhaps now KG has worked the count full, while PL is in a hole 0 & 2.

'goo, Do you need multiple punctuation marks in order to show us that you really mean what you say? If so, does that imply that you often do not mean what you say? I can remember when UND was mired in a long winless streak against 'SU in football. Who led them out of that mess? It wasn't that Rocky Hager wannabe Pat Behrns. Who hired (and mentored) the only UND football coach to win a NC? Who was AD when the Al, the Ralph, and the Betty were all built? RT is a class act as demonstrated by the way he (and his teams) conducts (conducted) himself (themselves). Is everything he does perfect? No, and it would not be a reasonable expectation of him or anyone else. Do I wish that the hiring of a new hockey coach was conducted differently? Yes, but I also have cofidence in RT's judgement. Also, if DB gave DH his very enthusiastic endorsement and didn't mean it, it would be very un-DB-like to say the least. Go find a much more deserving target for your contempt.

Don't MN, Duluth and Denver all have holiday tournaments too? Unless you can get everyone in the league to give up their tournaments, there is little hope to play a balanced league schedule. So if they won't give up their tournaments in favor of a balanced league schedule, then the next best thing would seem to be to have the Sioux have their own holiday tournament. There is another way to play a balanced schedule: Reduce the league by one team. I vote MSU-M (last in, first out) or SCCC (then Saigo the soft headed bleeding heart won't have to put up with UND's sweaters giving the NCC its only non-blight).

I think UND absolutely has to go through the effort to find the best candidate to replace DB. This is not a slam on Hak, who may be the eventual winner, but the position is too imprtant to leave to convenience. Is a letter campaign to RT called for here?

...or someday he could coach the Sioux and market his alma mater...

PCM, I agee with you. I don't have any idea why he wouldn't want it, but I can't think of anything else that squares with what I know (which is admittedly very little) about the situation.

The job is Sandy's, if he wants it. He doesn't want it though. Sandy was on the short list of people DB informed of his decision immediately after making it. Sandy wasn't interested in the job, so DB endorsed Hak. Sandy ain't committing one way or the other because he wants to interview for it and get a nice raise from UMD. If UMD steps up, he'll stay. If they step in it and piss him off, he may go. The above is not in any way based on any inside knowledge (because I don't have any - inside or otherwise ), but is my read on the situation. DB's endorsement of Hak does make me a lot more comfortable with Hak as an option, but his head-coaching record still worries me. DB has a visceral hatred of losing. So does Sandy. I'm not sure that Hak does. I agree w/ jk that the job needs to be filled with the best choice for the long term benefit of UND, not what's best for the next 2 months. I don't know why Sandy wouldn't want the job, but it doesn't seem to add up otherwise. I put Sandy's chances of ending up as the next head coach of your University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux at no better than 10%, and that high only because we might get some help from UMD in order to have it happen. I'm pretty sure UMD's gonna lock Sandy up but tight.

Coach, Thanks for everything. You're the coach every father wishes his son could play for. I wish you nothing but success in all your future endeavors. Any chance that your successor was hand-picked by you?

How 'bout Dallas Stars head coach Dave Tippett? His wife (that is if they're still married) is from Bismarck. Want to hear a gut-buster? The rumor among the dirty yellow vermin apologist faithless is the Woog is a top candidate!

ScottM - just curious - what are you basing this on? I think most US players are coming from states with pretty strong public schools (not many are coming from Arkansas, Mississippi, or the inner-city schools of a large urban center).

Popularity is the hallmark of mediocrity. If I come off sounding like a snob, then I've succeeded . Regarding PCM's response (it's not really necessary to rip away is it? I mean, aren't we among friends? - excluding loafer lovers, of course): Baseball bench clearing brawls and basketball fights (if those open-handed purse-swinging affairs can truly be termed "fights") are also sure to lead off nightly sports highlights. Olympic sized rinks and the elimination of the two-line pass penalty are likely to result in more teams implementing the trap and one man forecheck. Why? Because they will be even more afraid of getting burned. I think reducing the size of goalie pads to that which is only necessary for their protection (which ain't much using today's superior materials) and something really radical, having only one face-off dot in each end, located exactly halfway between the two that exist today, would be much more effective in increasing scoring.

Wanting him and being willing to pay for him may be two completely different things. I don't know that the Oilers have much money to be throwing around, but we'll see. This article smacks of a ploy by the Oilers to lowball Matty by telling him, in effect, "You may not like the offer, but if you don't come now, we may not have a spot for you later". I hope our Mean Greene Machine is back with the Sioux next year, but if not, I wish him well and hope he can crack the big club's lineup without spending significant time in the minors.

So, tony, do YOU think that the NCAA needs some fundamental changes, or is everything just A-okay hunky-dorey in your stream yellow world the way it is now? Man have you got a piss-poor attitude (agree with me or you are a $%%^&& idiot). I see you do a lot of tearing apart of other's ideas without putting forth your own constructive proposals. Is that because you can't? Is it because you are nothing more than a UND-hating troll? Don't bother answering, we already know.

It can and it should be.

My top ten: 1. UND Fight Song 2. UND Fight Song 3. UND Fight Song 4. UND Fight Song 5. UND Fight Song 6. UND Fight Song 7. UND Fight Song 8. UND Fight Song 9. UND Fight Song 10. UND Fight Song Notice a trend?

Okay, I think that crosses the line. Moderator, can we have this putz banned now?

Congrats Junior. But what does a Sioux player have to do in order to win this award? I admit I'm biased, but in watching both Zach and Junior play many times this season, Zach was the better player, hands down. And his team was 5-0 against Junior's this year. Zach had all the intagibles too: name recognition, WJ MVP, WJ gold medal. I'm beginning to believe that the only way another Sioux player will win this award is by again setting the single season record for points. I'm not really angry or disappointed as much as I am amazed by the outcome.

Federov, You have lost all credibility with me. If you think that you know more about coaching hockey than DB, you are seriously delusional. Seek immediate mental help. Saturday's game was incredibly painful to watch. Even the DU fans around me admitted DU was badly outplayed. The boys left everything on the ice and just couldn't get a break. When DU was clearly tiring, and were commiting even more obvious infractions in order to keep up, the ref swallowed his whistle and "let 'em play". Give Denver credit, though, they stuck to their game plan of doing everything short of taking a penalty to slow down the Sioux and it worked. The number of 'holding the stick' penalties that could have been called against DU was ridiculous. Ugly, ugly, UGLY hockey.

If you live in the twin cities metro, definitely get a hold of PSB (Pete). He's a member of this board. He knows what he's doing, he's a bargain, and he'll save you a ton of frustration. If you don't live in the tc metro or you don't want to heed my good advice , then point it to Galaxy 3C (the FSSN sat.) and try to get the CCTV feeds (Chinese TV). Go to www.lyngsat.com to get the freq., polarity & symbol rate. There is no guarantee that this is the sat. FSSN will be using next year, however.

See you all at Carrabba's!

I'll be there! Where's everyone gathering before the games? Anything within walking distance of the arena?

Roger, thanks for the explanation PCM. Still not fully convinced, but only because I wasn't allowed the opportunity to see it for myself.

That was a heck of a game, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't extremely disappointed. To have our team out-goalied by the likes of Briggs is almost beyond belief. Unfortunately, my friends, that was the difference. Other things: First UMN PP (on which they scored) was BOoOoOogus! 2nd UMN goal was offside by like 10 !@%^($%#&$#*%^ feet! Why was UMN's 3rd goal waved off? Looked like it was just under the cross bar to me (no replay at the People's Republic of Minnesota Excel Energy Center, of course). Now I shall enter into a rant that would in no way be posted had the Sioux won. How the heck is it that Scott Hennen announces the afternoon game today, yet when the Sioux, the alleged (and I stress alleged) home team, plays, they get the UMN rink announcer for the championship game? It cannot be argued with any HINT of credibility, that the UMN rink announcer even deserves mention in the same sentence as Scott Hennen. Their rink announcer is barely adequate and that is all. Scott Hennen is without peer. Second, the lower seed, regardless of whether it is the all-undeserving-yet-all-powerful UMN, should not be allowed to have their cheerleaders, 'ice-dance' team, or band at the game (for the love of Pete, let's try to maintain some semblance of objectivity and earned status, shall we?). On another note: I hope the unholy trio of the Potulny bros. and Irmen find their traitorous actions to be worth their immortal souls. Clearly, UMN would not be near the team they are without them. I was at the game and stayed for the after-game awards, despite the unfortuitous outcome. When Bo was named to the all-tourney team, the typically ungracious UMN fans rode him hard concerning his past indiscretions. One of the most vocal offenders was right in front of me. I whispered in his ear that he roots for a heck of team and that he should root for them with the class they deserve. He told me that it was a fact that he had committed his misdeeds, and that as a result he had every right to give him grief. I told him, much to his confusion, that I was not disputing his right to give him grief, nor the facts of the matter, but that to mention them at the time of his well-deserved award was without class. I wish I could say that this was atypical of my first-hand experience with UMN fans. Sadly, I cannot.