tnt

Wow, just wow. I think the Noise Inside Your Head is clouding any rational judgement. I thought maybe your silence was due to shame from sitting back and taking a look at the whole situation, and then you come back with that retort.

Yes, let there be discussion about what would possess someone to perform such an act, then what would possess a person to make light of it.

Depending on when the game is scheduled, it could be very interesting. I have a feeling with the chatter back and forth between Major Junior and college programs, it could get quite contentious. If we are in the middle of our season, we would have much more to lose, because fighting would mean sitting the next game as well. (See Andy Schneider vs. Manitoba).

But the sentiment is that Brian Faison doesn't care about football. Is he not tied to the same restraints as past Athletic Directors? I see a great new football facility going up, and maybe he wasn't the author of it, but he has some credit in getting it through all the red tape and even some funding aspects. Just don't think that the attitude that Faison cares less about football, or other sports other than hockey are accurate.

I would argue that Roger Thomas was the Athletic Director that hurt UND football the most by using the wait and see approach, rather than being proactive like NDSU. We had gone ahead of them in football, now look at where the programs are at.

You don't think that UND fans would have a superiority complex about football if they did what the Bison are doing. Fans are just waiting for them to put up championships so they can display that pride factor like many Bison fans. We can brag all we want about the head to head comparisons with the Bison, but in the end, it is all about the hardware.

Plus we are on the outside looking in, so we still don't know if guys like Sanderson and Murphy may choose a different path.

Would guess since UND has been recruiting them, this might have been discussed as a possibility, and if so, some scholarship money could have been kept available. After all, Gardner was drafted by the Force.

Isn't the guy that he put into a coma the brother of a UND women's hockey recruit that will be on campus? Count me as a "No Way" on this guy.

So if you can't play in Major Juniors and be eligible to play NCAA hockey, how can you play against them otherwise?

Meaning Dane Jackson is staying.

Looks like Yzerman beat me to it.

An ex-gopher, Tom Ward from Shattuck would be very appealing because of his recruiting ties and ability to take over or help with the defensive corp. Realistically, don't think he would be willing to leave that situation when he probably wouldn't be the next in line for head coach.

I think you could likely have your pick of assistants, so who are some big names out there that have a fresh perspective, and the chance to develop into a successor at some point. I don't want to get into a situation like they did under Gino where you have such loyalty to in-house candidates that you overlook someone with more experience and recruiting connections. Just curious as to what Lamoureaux brings in that realm.

Well, Holmgren is a former gopher, so what do you expect?

If for some reason they decided to go that route, I hope the assistants have a different personality, because I know of a few players that needed a little positive reinforcement from time to time. Also, just a little curious if Bowen and Poolman knew Eades was going to be coach of Fargo, why they didn't stay. Not trying to start a rumor mill, just curious.

Isn't their a requirement that they have to open it up?

Well, you got your wish with Hakstol, so now you are on notice if we don't make the NCAA tournament.

He's in charge of the defense, and we have had the best defensive crew in the country the last few years.

So who has already signed their letters of intent, and who hasn't. I know Minnesota is in need of a defenseman for next year, and wouldn't hesitate at contacting Shaw if he hasn't already signed.

So some guy on GPL seems 80% sure that Keaton Thompson will leave. Hopefully we don't have a blindside like that coming, but you never know what is going on behind the scenes.

Yeah, it's kind of funny how in the past we would need to put a forward on the point for the power play out of necessity, and now we have an over-abundance of qualified offensive defensemen, to the point that Troy Stecher didn't operate on the powerplay much at all last year. With Ladue, Thompson, Stecher, Poolman, Wolanin and Shaw you have 6 guys that are qualified in that area, and Ausmus has enough offensive ability that he could play there if necessary. Wow, times sure have changed at UND on the back end.

You fail to see the bigger picture. Poolman and Bowen were sent by Hakstol to reel in Jost and Fabbro, and make sure Bast doesn't go to Major Junior.

Really like Badlanders or Sodbusters as names that are unique, and tie to the region. If you think of Cornhuskers, it wouldn't sound great if it didn't have years behind it, but now it would sound strange if Nebraska was called anything else, just like the Sioux. Would love to see them go with something unique that has many possibilities with imagery, I think both these would give us that. Since Rough Riders seems so divisive, these would be next on my list. You could even use imagery of Teddy if you wanted, but someone could come up with a unique logo for Badlanders that would be "bad" in a good sense, and as someone has already pointed out, the Springsteen song is built for it.

...and when things aren't going well we see that Matt Cooke is no better than Steve Ott. Cross checked and slashed Hossa, and once again stuck his leg out on Hjarlmasson. Wonder if they will still look at that hit for a suspension since Hjarlmasson came back to play.