farce poobah

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.

The signs during the Gopher series, waaaaaaay back in October.

Don't know about schedule. Do know that New Hampshire is beautiful that time of year. Recommend driving up from Boston and adding a few days to see the scenery.

(Fedorov, I'm thrilled to be in the midst of your list ... just to be considered is fun. Thanks.) If there's a model for message boards elsewhere, this is it, and that in turn is a reflection of the Sioux Hockey community. I see it in person, and on the internet - people who just plain love the game, enjoy every minute of every game, get goosebumps walking into the Ralph, the X, even the John. Whenever and wherever the Green and White strap on the blades to do battle, they do so with as loyal a fan base as you'll find anywhere. For everyone here, "thanks!" for sharing your thoughts and listening to mine. This place becomes an outlet for my passion for Sioux Hockey, for the Fanatics to gather electronically, and long after my family is tired of hearing me wax rhapsodic about arcana like Zach's great backchecks on Vanek, Schneider's ability to poke check the puck AND keep his momentum in the right place, that Zajac and Spirko are consistently a half-step ahead of the play, how Prpich got under so-and-so's skin, that y'all are here to listen. For creating such a great gathering place, I too would like to express my appreciation and thanks to the Creators and the Administrators of Siouxsports.com.

One thing the Sioux and Gophers have in common is in making the Frozen Four in a year that neither felt was a particularly "good" team (by the local, high standards). That both schools made it in an "off year" is is a bad sign for the rest of the world ...

Yeah, he'll need a bigger size next year since he's still growing. Stuff happens. I hope Matt takes with him not the flukes but how well he played in the NCAA's.

Mannino was good AND lucky. He was beat cleanly on several pucks that went high or wide, and just barely got to about 5 more. If we finish on just one of the multiple chances in the first 40 minutes, the 3rd period looks totally different. DU's skill players made a couple great plays on their 2nd and 3rd goals, and they got a bounce on that first goal. We didn't get any bounces, and that as they say was that. Most of our lineup had good games again ... DU was a bounce better. Nice momentum for next year. I hope none of our coaches turns pro.

Congratulations on a terrific season. Character, class, passion, and outstanding effort. You made us proud to be fans of UND Fighting Sioux hockey.

Wisdom from Gordon Bombay: "If we stoop to their level, we become them. We are better than that. Let's go play OUR hockey."

The sentiment in the original post bears repeating. Again. Very, very impressive display of character, poise and passion in the national semifinal.