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I'm not trying to argue for the release of Coach Hakstol, was just trying to make a point with "Burt" that when a coach is released that the academic institution does not need to provide said coach with a detailed, analytical reason why. It was just idle fodder for me to help pass the night & keep my mind distracted until Thursday. What I did not expect was to get barraged by a bunch of gifs. Is that the common means in 2015 for an adult to reply to a post he doesn't agree with? LOL, geez , it's like Romper Room around here sometimes. Even if I did want his release, which I don't at this point, it would be a futile waste of time to argue with the True Believers around here who will never want him to go, regardless of the reasons given. It's a battle I couldn't win around here IF I were arguing for his release. That's all.

LOL, must a lot of adults around here reply with gifs to make a point? I used the analogy about the cheating spouse & a head coach as the other party in both cases does not need to provide a detailed explanation in order to terminate a relationship. "Burt" is somehow under the belief that a fanbase needs to provide a detailed, analytical analogy in order to terminate a head coach. I didn't say Hakstol should be released, just debating a point with Burt. I didn't think it was a great analogy, but not as terrible as your little Simpson picture implies. But come on, man, if you're over 15 you shouldn't be replying to another person's post with a picture. If you're younger than that, I apologize.

No reason to flame away. That's a valid perspective as I see it. It may not have played a part in all of their FFs, but it very well could have in some of them.

That's okay, it wasn't directed at you.

I didn't imply that I wanted a divorce from Sioux hockey, just trying to understand your rationale. In the examples I stated, both were because expectations were not achieved. And in both cases, it is not necessary to go into detail about why they are ending a relationship with the other person/party, which was my point. Coaches get fired all the time for not producing, do you call every one of these terminations "whining"? I bet they were given the pink slip BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T WIN THE BIG ONE, especially with teams like the Cowboys & Yankees on the pro level. And if I'm not mistaken, all of these other coaches are not given intricate explanations about why they are not needed. "You didn't produce" or "the players can't relate to you anymore" are the usual storylines, but nothing of "You only incorporated the neutral zone trap in 60% of your games & against teams with a PWR between 5 & 10 nationally; leading to a transparent coaching style which the other teams could easily see & adapt to accordingly."

If a spouse cheats, does the other spouse need to know the intricate details of why that spouse cheated, or can that person just end it & get a divorce? Or, if a coach of a revered program goes for a long drought without a NC, does the fanbase need to give an intricate coaching analysis of why they are terminating him, or can they just terminate him for someone who may be more sophisticated in all points of the game? It's not an emotional reaction; it's a conclusion based on the very tangible result that no national championships have been won over a long duration. Cut & dry. .... I'm not implying anything about Hakstol, seriously, just trying to understand your rationale, so no burning parties tonight from the mob, please ....

Exactly. I so want #8 like everyone else here, but it doesn't make sense with this bickering about minutia which matters not in the grand scheme of things. I think Colten St. Clair's performance along with Simo or Murphy's will be crucial to the outcome for us on Thursday & maybe even Saturday. The X factors.

I hear you. But I think now is the time that Sioux fans stop cannibalizing each other & unite for #8. At least for this week anyway. After the playoffs are over, I think it's perfectly normal & expected that we return to a cut-throat mentality towards each other; it's that kind of viciousness that has endeared SS to me. If not about the coach, then maybe about current recruits or the ice conditions at the TC in March. You know, uber important issues like that while an unchecked Fukushima radiates the Pacific & depleted uranium continues to be dropped on less desirable people half a world away.

You can argue the relative talent level each coach has had, but D1 BB teams have to win more games during the playoffs in order to win the title: bracket of 64 teams vs. 16 teams; must win 6 games in playoffs vs. 4 in D1 hockey. So yes, Izzo does have a much tougher road, but he's also won the Big Dance, too. He confuses his opinion with the truth too much for you? If I go to Google Translate, I think that comes out as: "You're a dink because you don't worship our hockey coach at all times." Close? : ) ....My take is that there's a time to praise & a time to be critical; if one is always stuck exclusively in one emotional state he's either a perpetual homer or is wound too tightly, respectively. I'm thinking Coach Hakstol will give us plenty of reasons to praise him after this year. : ) And besides, fightingsioux4life & I share the same stomping grounds. An attack against him is an attack against me. lol

When it comes to hockey, a PC-oriented player is a socially-conditioned forward who has lost his natural goal-scoring inclination; mostly due to him being exposed to teachers & an environment that tells him it's okay to pass. This can never be okay with guys like Wilkie, & we as fans need to voice our loud displeasure to the coaching staff if we see him starting to pass with any regularity next year. This dangerous ideology kills the selfish instincts in pure goal scorers & makes them more altruistic, when their inherent traits are to only shoot. I might go so far as to suggest to Hakstol next year that he doesn't even let Wilkie or Boeser use the word "pass". It can be a slippery slope as allowing them to use words like "pass" & "assist" will eventually lead to these actions. Gotta nip any unselfishness in the bud & get these guys primed & loaded for a flood of goals & big egos next year.

That's what I like about Wilkie, he's a shoot-first, ask questions later kind of guy. We don't need any more polite, PC-oriented players who are burdened with too many manners & are always looking to pass. We need selfish players like Wilkie who know they can score goals to just go out & shoot. And if he ever gets a wild hair up his arse during a shift next year that it's alright to pass, bench him for a couple shifts until he gets back into his selfish shoot-only mindset. Kind of like having a Brett Hull; spend the entire game trying to get the puck in his wheelhouse. It'll be nice to have a player or two or three like him. So at least next year we'll have at least a couple of forwards who were baptized in the Brett Hull denomination of Holy Rippers & not just a squad of all passers. Looking good ....

Agreed. I noted earlier in this thread that it's just being shortsighted & giving up great college rock star experiences in order to get a few shekels in pro hockey. It may sound like a lot of money to a college kid, but they'll never get to experience that college vibe again; while they're sitting next to Rocco Grimaldi in a bus as they tour the NE minor hockey circuit. Would be nice if they listened to their own hearts, & didn't get talked into doing something from an agent that they didn't feel like doing but felt compelled to do so anyway. These agents are doing what is best for the team, not the players; although some would disagree with that.

Now this kinda stuff is funny as hell & no one replies to it or gives it any love. Come on, guys, lighten up a little & don't hold your sticks too tightly.

Hilarious post, love that photo ... : )

It sounds like the consensus is that it's better to have Zane for one more year, even if it means Tomek goes elsewhere & losing a possible 3 or 4 years out of him. Simply trying to gauge how important Zane is to this program .... Once Zane does split I think Sioux fans will quickly realize how important he really was, more so than they thought. Tall, big, physically agile goalies like him with his Cool Hand Luke demeanor don't come around very often.

Your post has a 73.9% chance of being true based on what I said, the current trends, my gut & nothing more. : ) But speculating is kinda fun & it's an inherent part of being a fan so I don't think people are going to stop doing it, even though they have no real clue what's going on inside a kid's head.

LOL, I hear ya. I just think he's quite good at manipulating people here; & that he continues doing it cuz most people still fall into the trap of playing his games. Some people feel alive & get a sense of purpose by performing altruistic acts for others, he gets the same feelings from playing people. I don't have concrete proof, but I think he's actually pretty sharp. Emotionally-stunted, yes, but nonetheless sharp. : )

LOL, that seems to be the pattern with most Sioux hockey teams. Possible scenario with BU: Have a 2-goal lead with 3:58 to go, get a double-minor because a BU player was barely bleeding after a Sioux player inadvertently slashes him in the neck, lose that lead with :32 remaining, almost lose the game with 2 seconds remaining after a mad scramble in front of Zane & a BU ripper off the Sioux crossbar, & win it with 2 minutes left in 2OT.....then go & rest up for a UNO team that won by 5 goals in the earlier game....When they could have just spared us all the aforementioned grief & blown them out by 5 or so goals. Not to mention all the marriages & relationships which were destroyed in ND because of some vitriol which was spewed at a wife/gf while all this drama was unfolding : )

These guys will have only one chance in their lives for the college hockey experience: at the best program in the nation with the most passionate fanbase, all the while being treated like rock stars. And to give up this once-in-a-lifetime experience so you can have a remotely small chance at playing on a consistent basis on a NHL team at some point in the future seems shortsighted. Is it for the money? Well, if one is going to pass on cultivating deeper friendships in his youth for a meme like money which has no intrinsic value, then maybe it would behoove one to reexamine what's really important in his life. And unless they're mega-talented like Toews, they're going to be treated like a pawn by some corporate franchise & basically owned like a slave: they report to certain destinations & do certain things & fulfill meaningless contractual obligations on the orders of their owner (that's the definition of being a slave when you don't control your own movements)...You're going to Hershey..You're coming back up..You're being traded...We're putting you on waivers..We're releasing you..You're going to Chucky Cheese at 2 PM next Tuesday for a photo-op..etc.." It's even coded into their language what they think of these professional athletes, ie, "trading one's rights". They're a commodity, plain and simple. I call it free-range slavery (chickens may think they're free because they're strutting around on a range outside of cages; but they're still owned & will end up as a garlic-seasoned rotisserie one day at your local Piggly Wiggly). lol. Similar to millionaire athletes: they may drive around in Porsches & live in fancy mansions, but they still have owners. : ) ... And though it's voluntary, it technically is a form of human-trafficking what these players go through at the professional level. These players "play the game" & jump through hoops so they have a shot at doing something they love. They may not be like a slave on a plantation; but they're owned like a commodity nonetheless. They take the fun right out of the game. And then when you can no longer serve the goals of the corporation, you're ruthlessly terminated & discarded by this sociopathic entity. But this is okay for most people, after all it's not them getting cut & they did get to see their favorite player rush for a few touchdowns before he was shown the backdoor, don'tcha know. I've lost all passion & respect for professional sports & what a mockery they make of the human experience. Is this what these kids are so excited to do? I understand if it's an intense desire to prove one's self at the highest level. I understand the injury aspect also & wanting to be healthy when it comes time for the NHL, but it just seems like a rush to get to a level where only a select few ever play at that level on a consistent basis. If I had a kid on this or any team, I would highly encourage him to enjoy his youth & have fun being a kid before he has to go corporate. That's all ....

http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2015/03/28_bobcats_buried_in_fargo.php Doesn't sound like Pecknold was upset about the venue to me, unless I'm missing something. Sounds like people are just looking for an excuse to complain about & pick apart an opposing coach: Much has been made recently about whether Regionals should remain at neutral sites, given the small crowds in some years and some venues. Despite technically being a neutral site, Fargo was no such thing, with North Dakota fans packed into Scheels Arena. But Quinnipiac didn't seem to mind. “I didn’t think it was intimidating," Pecknold said. "I really thought it was a great atmosphere. I’ve got to give it to North Dakota, they have some of the best fans in the country. Obviously the arena is great, it’s really a good venue.” “Having been on the committee before, it is a battle to keep neutral sites and obviously this was not a neutral site but we were the 14 seed so you have to go on the road and take your lumps," Pecknold said. "If we had had a better regular season we wouldn’t have to come here and play, but I thought it was great.”

Yes, would be nice to meet up with some other Sioux fans next week. If anyone will be at a public viewing party in metro Phoenix, please post the details here. Thanks.

The Sioux are 8 days out from making a run at # 8, but I find myself talking about & psychoanalyzing gfhockey. Maybe it's just so I forget about the stress of next week & focus on something more light-hearted. And Blackheart, like I said, his schtick is acting like he's challenged. If he were to consistently write & act sensibly (which I've seen him do a couple times when he let down his guard & forgot about his act momentarily), his leash would be a lot shorter here & people wouldn't put up with him as much. ..... He'll keep acting the way he does, & people will still continue to try & talk seriously to him; people either don't get him & his motivations or they enjoy going around & around in cul-de-sacs with him .... his dialogues tell as much about the people who perpetually get sucked into his web as they do about him ....takes two to tango, as they say. : )

As do I, it's priceless when others engage him & try to talk sense with him. People here get distracted & bent out of shape with his antics & that there's the comedic value. : )

Yeah, I was just trying to make the point that it's good to find a medium in things, without getting too extreme in one direction or the other.

Well, it was a post about the kid, I've never replied personally to him. I learned many years ago not to engage attention-seeking behaviors directly. As opposed to others here who get sucked in & baited by him all the time. He is good at his art & I think it's hilarious how well he plays people like a fiddle here.