farce poobah

And The Great Crosby is still scoreless! Parise > Crosby

obligatory link to opponent broadcast http://www.stcloudstate.edu/athletics/listen.asp

First chance!!! and hopefully not last chance to watch NCAA tournament hockey at the Ralph.

Sounds like Dr. Kupchella is stepping forward as a strong advocate of the school's tradition. Win or lose, I have to feel like Sioux nickname supporters were well represented in this *&^$# process. I for one won't be setting foot in a tribal casino. Ever. As to programs at UND for Native Americans, it would be extremely shortsighted to dump over this trivial matter. [come on, its just sports] Getting opportunities, a chance to get off the reservation for those who want it, getting a chance for education is far more important, and I'm still proud to be an alum of a school with a strong record of supporting advancement for Native Americans.

Most schools would give their right nut to get a first round draft choice on defense, drafted #27 overall. Yet Joe Finley doesn't rate a mention. Yet another point of evidence that this is the broadest, deepest, best bunch of incoming that I've seen in 30 years of UND fandom.

Thanks for the updates ... not able to get any audio to work today.

Heck, I'm gonna scalp the St Cloud - Robert Morris tickets. I plan to say there's a big protest scheduled for the game against Robert Morris [insert bogus Native American nickname here] team but its inside.

I don't see attendance given anywhere ... anyone at the game care to estimate the crowd?

In Boston 2004, we got the same reaction from Maine fans while wearing our UND jerseys. Their fan base is loyal and has long memories, and the steps Blais and UND took to help Walsh will linger a long time. Beyond that, there are a lot of similarities (they rail about the built-in advantages that BC and BU and the related snobbery just like we rail about MN's snobbery) that make for common ground.

Terrific articulation of a strong persuasive argument. Alumni, students and friends can ask no more of a President than that. Well done, President Kupchella.

I am mad as hell, with the same reasons that PCM and others have passionately and clearly stated. I am pondering two more questions this morning: 1) Is there a snowball's chance in he$$ of winning this particular battle? The answer to this seems clear. The NC$$ has an agenda, and they WILL impose it on everyone. They will arm-twist the Ice Hockey committee, the D2 football and basketball committees, and everyone they can think of. What this means is that an NC$$ playoff game WILL NOT be played with UND as host, until we change the nickname. That's a significant competitive disadvantage, especially for a school with ongoing annual national title hopes. (Of course if UND moved to D-1 then it would only hurt a couple sports.) It's at least conceivable to change the nickname for everything BUT hockey. ... keep the Fighting Sioux nickname for hockey, but change everything else to Rough Riders or whatever. That way, basketball, football, swimming, baseball, could host (maybe?). It's at least conceivable that they carve out an exception for schools with strong American Indian programs and who provide sufficient public education programs (how about an exhibit on Lakota and Chippewa culture in the Betty during next spring's ice hockey regionals? ... other than scoring political points, it would indeed be cool to see UND step up and use the nickname as a platform for educating the white people in the area about Native American culture ...) But ultimately, it seems unlikely the NC$$ will listen to any kind of reason, rationale, or apply any fairness whatsoever. They've got an agenda, and anyone who disagrees can just go to he!!. 2) What will the NC$$ do NEXT YEAR to further impose their agenda? Why stop at a ban on hosting? This seems pretty clearly an intermediate step, a big shot across the bow. But the big punishment is yet to come, in my opinion. Clearly, their next step will be to ban teams with American Indian nicknames from ANY postseason participation. Past that, instead of or in addition to, it will be to bar conferences with a member school using an American Indian nickname from getting autobids. The NC$$ doesn't have to flat out ban nicknames to get what they want. If they are bound and determined to force change, they'll get it. ========================= Don't get me wrong, I would rather keep the Fighting Sioux nickname than change. But UND Athletics is now at a competitive disadvantage, and I dislike that worse...

Kozek > Bertram

Four of the top 36? I'm stunned, frankly. With arguably the best player not yet draft-eligible, this validates what people smarter than me have been saying about this year's Sioux recruits for a while now. Come March 2006, UND will be a force to be reckoned with.

OK then. UND should host a regional at the Xcel Center.

The UND Athletics website (fightingsioux.com) announces single game ticket sales ... last year tix went on sale in mid-September. Its also possible to get tickets, especially for lesser draws like a Tech or Northeaster, if the student section doesn't sell out all their seats the leftovers go on sale Monday before the series. And if that doesn't work you can always hang out by the front door.

A 20-year old is more likely to be able to step in and play right away, even if they've got less raw talent than an 18 y.o. Alexander coming in seems like a good move for both him and the Sioux.

With larger end bleachers AND a full house of >4000, the Betty becomes a tremendous home court advantage, (and recruiting advantage). The sound rolls around and just builds; I was struck by the comments of visiting coaches who found 1800 in the Betty intimidating. At 4000, I think it can become a great college atmosphere. Ironically, like the old Ralph. Also, with all the games there, Sioux shooting should improve a bit, and it only takes one shot to chance the outcome of a lot of these games. Overall an excellent move by UND Athletics.

Fargo is a football town, and it seems that the Football Power/Boosters are threatened by hockey. However, to the original question, D1 hockey in Fargo would help participation in peewees bantams mites all that, and probably make the pool of potential players a lot bigger. Suppose it got to the point where Fargo produced as many D1 prospects per capita as GF... that's a lot of players ... and I think UND would be able to skim the cream of the crop. Overall it definitely would help UND hockey. In the short run (like 20 years) it would be another sport to beat NDSU at.

Nobody was comparing. We were ridiculing.

I would personally go for an image of a Lakota encampment, but that's just me. There's already way too many other coins with buffalo on them. I vote for the Canadian Geese. (Besides, it may help Sioux hockey recruiting ...)

Autobids are good for the game, they give everybody a shot and keep the pressure off the established conferences to add every tom dick and harry that calls their team D1. However, I note for the record that Bemidji came closer to beating the NCAA champions from Denver than the WCHA powerhouses did. I hope the CHA finds team #6, because I don't want to see the WCHA try to go to 15 teams - UGH. Too bad AFA went to Atlantic Hockey ... Any chance someone drops out of the CCHA? BGSU? Western?

I can't believe nobody mentioned this one yet ... Friday October 8, 2004. Orono, Maine. 2:58 into Overtime. Stafford on a penalty shot ... two head fakes, then shin high over Howard's right skate. (I missed Hennessy's call on that one; it must have been priceless.)

LINK: http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/5Polls/.../polls_0331.htm

Oh great. Next we're going to see coaches who aspire to be COTY wearing pink ties. Argh.