farce poobah

The new nickname needs to be something inspiring, and something that draws admiration and respect. I think picking RoughRiders would make it easier (not easy, just easier) to ease the pain of leaving Fighting Sioux in the past. North Dakotans disagree on a lot of things. Support for those brave enough to put their lives on the line to defend our freedom is as close to unanimous as it gets.

Argh. Can't believe I missed that. Video is pretty clear.

OK then, we could drop the Roughnecks part and just become the Frackers. ... I'd definitely come to "Meet the Frackers" Night at the Ralph.

I think Fracking Outlaws would be even better.

Coming down the stairs, to be one of the first to congratulate him, is a representative of the University of North Dakota. Well done.

35 years ago, a Los Angeles Kings fan arrived on campus at UND. As if to prove that wasn't strange enough, he founded / cofounded the Farce. Tonight, I'm happy for one of my friends, who's waited a long time. I'm also happy for Matt Greene, the prototype against which UND defensemen can be measured.

I am fine if either team wins, but I'm just happy that there's two more days of hockey season.

I've never seen a team as snakebit as New Jersey, through 40 minutes of game 4. If they get one, perhaps the floodgates will open.

Your name calling and insults are beyond acceptable limits for board behavior. Please stop.

Nominated! Best. Post. Of. The. Year.

If UND keeps the Fighting Sioux nickname, then sure let's keep playing for the Nickel Trophy. If not, then no. PS. Could playing for a nickel trophy be a violation of the NCAA settlement? I would think of that as a bit of a stretch, but since when would the NCAA apply common sense.

Agree. What if Gino hadn't gone outside the list of UND alumni and hired Dean Blais?

I didn't say I liked the idea. I just think the top of D-1 football is tired of being exploited by the big bowls, and to destroy them means inviting a lot of teams to a playoff. Four is not sustainable. Eight is not sustainable. Div 1-AA started at 4 in 1978, and is now at 24, on its way to 32.

I think its amazing that anyone could finish in four years (or five), while expending the amount of time and energy it takes to be a D-1 athlete. I am sure I couldn't have made it work. Congratulations. Well done.

Florida State to the Big 12? http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaaf--florida-state-trustee-sparks-firestorm-with-desire-to-join-big-12.html;_ylt=AlOPwTFkGuB2332ieLV1Qk45nYcB That one makes sense.

If a BCS Playoff diminishes the corruption and power wielded by the bowls today, then I'm all for it. Otherwise ... it will turn into a 32 team event, not right away but within 15 years.

Great recall. Good example.

How many NBA Championship rings does Allen Iverson have? Oh yeah, Z-E-R-O. Keep insisting the kids go to practice. Keep teaching kids that their actions have consequences. Keep teaching that taking shortcuts through life leaves you with Z-E-R-O.

I haven't seen a team as focused and disciplined as New Jersey in a long time. They simply were not going to let Philly's antic pull them off their game ... "between the whistles" as DeBoer said before the series started. Fun to watch.

Wow did the Devils curbstomp Philly in Game 4. The only place Philly had an edge was after the whistle goonery. Its all they had left.

I would rather those schools come out in the open and say "we won't schedule UND". I suspect - but have no proof - that these are the tip of the iceberg. What REALLY scares me are those in the closet who won't schedule us but won't go public with the reason.

I'm still trying to figure out what the heck Hamhuis was doing. Yours is the only plausible explanation. LA and St Louis make for interesting matchups.

As of tonight, the #3 and #4 faceoff men in the playoffs are UND alumni. Toews at 63% and Zajac at 62%. http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?gameType=3&position=S&season=20112012&sort=faceOffWinPctg&status=A&viewName=faceOffPercentage

Disagree. I looked back at the WCHA record in the NCAA's over the last decade. Teams that played more WCHA playoff games have poorer records. Teams that played 6 WCHA games have never won an NCAA game in the last decade. One team that lost in WCHA round 1 went on to win it all (Denver), while another that lost in round 1 (CC, last year) went on to upset vaunted BC. The NCHC needs to ease up on the meat grinder that is league playoffs. Let's give our teams a fighting chance to win in the NCAA's. PS. If you need more proof, look at how much better the CCHA has done since switching playoff formats.

Congratulations to TJ Oshie, Chris Porter, and the St Louis Blues. 2nd team to advance. Their reward is a few days to heal the bumps and bruises, while four other western teams keep beating the crap out of each other.