farce poobah

No, but they will sell all the tickets and make a lot of money. Gotta milk the cash cow.

I was thinking of majoring in Dog Therapy for my next career. As to the original topic, I am glad to see UND adding staff to engineering. An excellent place for young people to get real jobs that pay a living wage.

Thanks, and I agree about Tim and Virg. Could add Gino and Blais, who've seen all these players too.

Thanks for the topic. Certainly brings back lots of great memories. From hockeydb, a sortable all-time UND roster with # years played. Thus making it easier to sort through a really unfrickenbelievable list of talent to choose from. http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/display_players.php?tmi=8646 I've only seen 40 years of UND hockey, starting at the end of the Rube Bjorkman years, so won't go farther back. I am having an impossible time picking just one so will instead just talk about some of my all time favorite four year players: Mark Taylor. Became #1 UND all time scorer (until bumped by Greg Johnson). 1st team All America. All WCHA. One NCAA ring. The thing about Taylor's stats is that until his senior season, he wasn't The Guy for scoring. He was however, an outstanding penalty killer, and his two way play (along with other guys like Doug Smail, Erwin Martens, Dave Christian) was something even my inexperienced hockey watching eyes noticed. This is a guy who was very happy to be getting a college degree. My memory is as hazy as the air in the 1970's, but I think he was the first in his family to go to university. He came into GF as "Cyclone Taylor's grandson" but certainly made his own name. Phil Sykes. Two NCAA rings. TWICE named to the NCAA All-Tournament team. (Only 2 4-year Sioux players can make that claim; the other is Bryan Lundbohm.) One of three 4-year Sioux players to be MVP of NCAA Tournament; the others are Matt Henderson and Drake Caggiula. Victim of CCHA collusion and not named All America in 1981 or 1982. All WCHA. Check out where Dawson Creek, BC is on a map. Hint: its the end of the road. Another guy who was thrilled to have the opportunity to attend university, and as I recall he too was the first in his family to attend one. Another fabulous two-way player (it seems that Gino drilled into the guys that "if you want to play at the next level, you can either be Wayne Gretzky OR you can play two way hockey"). Won TWO NCAA championships. Totally clutch - scored back to back hat tricks vs Wisconsin in Feb 1982 to clinch the WCHA title over the despised Badgers. Was totally honked off after the 9-0 thumping that Wisconsin gave us at home in the league playoffs, and two days later you could see the steam still coming out of his head. Personable off the ice but incredibly competitive on the ice. Karl Goehring. NCAA ring. All America in 2000. Three times named All WCHA. The first UND goalie to make it to the NCAA tournament four years in a row. Outdueled Ryan "unscoronable" Miller in the 2001 semi's. In 2000, beat Scott Clemenson in the finale. Beat a lot of guys who went on to play NHL, but a victim of changes in the game itself where "short goalies got no reason ..." Another smart guy who took advantage of education. The only Sioux player who's been twice named Academic All-American. The fact that there's now a Hockey Academy was key to getting him a volunteer coaching slot. (I think of him as a big coaching flight risk, as UND goaltending has gone from good to great during his tenure as volunteer goaltending coach.) His full fledged goalie dance after the empty netter in 2000 title game is unforgettable. Greg Johnson. All Time #1 Scorer. Three times All American. Three times first-team All WCHA. 3 times a Hobey Baker finalist, and runner up in 1993. I am sympathetic to those who note he played in an era of small goalie pads and much higher overall scoring. But I note that by his senior year, opponents only had to stop one Fighting Sioux player, and still couldn't get it done. Case in point - his senior year he scored 64 points, and the #2 Sioux, Kevin Mckinnon, had about half (38). The #3 Sioux forward was Marty Shriner with 27 points. A wizard with the puck, and I think even better at it than Tony Hrkac. A couple times each period he would make the impossible pass onto a teammate's stick and most of the time it would bounce off, uncontrolled. If he had a Brock Boeser or Bobby Joyce on his wing - to bury all those cripples - he would have had 116 points that year. Chay Genoway. I realized my list needed at least one defender. (And he was technically a five-year player. So Sioux me.) Twice All America. FOUR times named All WCHA, which I believe is unique among Sioux. He was trailblazing in being a virtuoso with the puck, as well as incredibly fast. He was Stecher before Stecher came here. Highest possible marks for Courage and Character. Suffered a painful neck injury (illegal St Cloud hit) but came back every bit as good as he was before. #3 on UND defenseman scoring (behind Russ Parent and Nick Naumenko who played in the Hrkac-Johnson era); nobody else in the New Ralph era has cracked 100 points as a defender. Jeff Panzer. Two time Hobey Baker top ten, and was ROBBED! twice. All America first team in 2000 and 2001. Three times named All WCHA. Scored 228 points in an era where goaltending was a lot tougher than the 1970's and 1980's. Underappreciated as a defensive player; I'm recalling one weekend vs the Gophers where we were protecting a late lead and he would disrupt the breakout not with a big hit but a quick stick, batting the puck back deep and forcing them to start again. And again. And again. Relentless work ethic. The only North Dakota native to make this list. (But methinks that changes over the next 20 years.) Honorable mentions: Jon Casey, Darren Jensen, Dixon Ward, Ryan Duncan. I'll stop now.

That description could apply to more than one professor.

I'm not as worried about the Schmaltz contingency, as I am about Tyson Jost. If he gets drafted by the "wrong" team, either they don't like NCAA college route or they need help NOW, that could of course affect his choice.

Back in the day, we consumed many a beer arguing over who was downright scariest - Craig Ludwig, Howard Walker or Mickey Volcan.

Me putting two plus two together ... The ASU Athletic Director is quite ambitious AND their basketball arena (Wells Fargo Arena) really shows its age. I was to a basketball game there in December, and it reminded me a lot of the old St Paul Civic Center. Wouldn't surprise me if they went for a multi-purpose arena with luxury boxes and the like. In the meantime, Gila River + a lot of buses would suffice.

Showing my age, but my favorite part was Gino's motivational speech. I would be a big fan of Gino Gasparini, since the fall of 1977 when I hit campus. He was an assistant coach on the side, and as luck would have it also taught a golf class at Ray Richards that I enrolled in. I found him to be a charismatic speaker, an intense personality, and a pretty good golf coach. I was among those happy when Carl Miller named him head coach for the next season (1978-1979). Kudos to Brad Berry for strengthening the travelling party, with a guy who was 8-2 in Frozen Fours during his tenure at UND.

Brad Schlossman with a great piece of storytelling. Worth reliving that night, on the inside. Kudos and enjoy! http://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/4021670-und-hockey-24-hours-title

I hope we stay with a 24 game schedule. The old-style WCHA schedule with 28 conference games was too insular. My simpleton thinking is that a strong conference benefits in aggregate by more non conference games. The NCHC aggregate winning percentage in nonconference is about .650, while conference games total out to .500. One big reason the NCHC has put half the league into the NCAA's is scheduling, and I'll be really disappointed if we change that.

Dont forget BC's free pass to the Frozen Four with a regional in Worcester. Or Providence in Providence. Or Minnesota in St Paul. So I am agreeing with you, and noting that other schools get the same break....

Kudos to the young man for his choice of walkup music. http://kfan.iheart.com/onair/vikings-blog-38526/listen-carson-wentz-sticks-it-to-14658445/

Remember this is the U of Minnesota we're talking about. Half their fans will think the Gophers are defending national champions.

I'm not sure who to believe - (a) the Presidents of the Big Sky, or (b) you.

Jacks, thanks for the link. I know how I felt when Fullerton said he couldn't get the Big Sky Presidents to approve NDSU. I am not surprised a bit, because the NDSU President at the time, and their AD, were egotistical jackbags. Indeed, it is funny. To your criticism of SiouxVolley, that article is consistent with what he's been saying. Its right in front of you: “I’m trying to really push the presidents in my last four months to do something dynamic that preempts that. It involves looking at (Idaho and New Mexico State) and maybe looking at having two leagues and managing them with one group — things that have never really been done before but would, I think, solidify the Big Sky Conference for the next 20 years.” Again, thanks for the link.

I don't think a UND coach would ever miss the Frozen Four his first 9 years. He'd be run out of town before then.

I agree with this. Also, I haven't seen anyone mention that he's a lot younger than the other junior defenders; heck he's younger than all the regular D except Shaw. Point being, Keaton has very large future upside. On a team where some guys played at a much higher fraction of their potential, I think we have yet to see the best of his play. Here's hoping he makes it to The Show. Thanks for three excellent seasons at UND. All the best.

The contrarian might say that we really NEED a School of Forestry.

Dave, my compliments on a well written, passionate viewpoint. Keep up the good work. Your time travelling brought me into the wayback machine, sitting in the orange seats of the old St Paul Civic Center, surrounded by a sea of Badger Cardinal and White and Gopher Maroon and Gold. Year after year, and UND not there. Then came the upturn in 1994-1995, when the Sioux won their first playoff series in 4 years, on the road at St Cloud, and I remember being really excited because I saw a change in how we played the game. Anyway, my response is mostly along the lines of "North Dakota's 8th National Title Starts off 20 Seasons of Success". Fundamentally, UND hockey is in much stronger position now than 20 years ago. And I have no idea about the roster over the next 20 years, but the behind the scenes foundation - excuse me if I call these drivers of success - are unbeaten when mapped against any other NCAA school, and in a lot stronger position than in 1996. First, in the modern NCAA, its all about the Benjamins. UND's incredible fan base supports at home on the road, whenever and whereever. (I would place a bet that we outdraw BC in Madison Square Garden, but don't expect any takers.) This translates into an incredible revenue stream. Hockey Benjamins support a lot more than hockey, and I'm fine with that. I'm also happy that it gives us the flexibility needed to fund other drivers of success. Second is coaching. It's been a strength since Gasparini took over (count me as someone who will light off my Farce helmet anytime he comes in the room), and it was time for Blais to replace him, but those two searches took over a month because the AD at the time wanted to see what was out there. By contrast, the last two searches have taken zero time, indicating that succession planning had been discussed. This is evidence of strong management and strong planning. Its also a sign of how good the program is when guys stay here as assistants when they could be going elsewhere for a head job. I had wondered in recent years why Brad Berry had stayed; that became obvious last May. No disruption of talent pipelines, no disruption of systems, processes, structures, and an already strong program may have gotten a bit stronger as part of the change. With 2 NHL head coaches and 2 more assistants, getting a reputation as a place that develops coaches as well as players is emerging and can only help attract future talent. (I am also a huge fan of Cary Eades, and yes back in the day, toasted his ring at a local tavern. But after the fact, it seems to me that change also helped strengthen the coaching staff.) Third is culture. Player interviews in recent years have increasingly mentioned these "bigger picture" elements. Believe it, earn it, raise it is a great summary. "Through These Doors Walk Champions", "Speed Kills", the daily reminder from NHL media machines of exploits of recent players. Gasparini was an exceptional leader, and I don't think the actual culture has changed all THAT much over the last 40 years, but I think its now articulated more concisely and talked about more. Fourth is facilities. That's not just the part that fans regularly see, the best arena around, but also the weight room, the rehab facilities, the experienced training staff, etc etc. This gets talked about a lot, so I will just note that 20 years ago we were "on par" at best, and now nobody's better. Fifth is recruitment. Its time consuming, its all about relationships, but UND is now in position to compete selectively for guys that fit. 20 years ago, we had a draft choice or two (the 1997 and 2000 teams were almost all undrafted, which makes their accomplishments all the more amazing). Kudos here to recruitment, as it seems we recruit captains disproportionately compared to some other NCAA teams (you know who I'm talking about), and character seems to be a staple of candidate selection. Also, its now a case of selecting guys that fit, and using the ever expanding network of ex-players, ex-coaches, ex-teammates as a way to gain information needed to select guys that will fit. Put another way, its hard to think of a recruiting mistake (and this in a competitive environment where a couple guys that don't pan out can really set the whole program back). Sixth is peers / conference. We're finally in a conference of like minded schools. Schools where hockey is #1 on campus, and schools that are like minded about attracting NHL-caliber talent and preparing guys for the next level. The WCHA is falling behind fairly rapidly, not because they are smaller but because of their attitudes (insulated schedule, no 3x3 overtime, no shootout, refereeing stuck in the 1990's, etc etc). Big Ten hockey is easily rebutted in a competitive recruiting scenario as "irrelevant" on Big Ten campuses ( behind volleyball, M&W basketball, football, and wrestling). Hockey East has a few great teams at the top, but too many cupcakes which hampers player development. We're in the right conference, for the right reasons, and this will continue to emerge over time as the right choice. Much stronger position than in 1996. Seventh is FCOA. In a 25-man roster, I've felt it patently unfair to have only 18 scholarships to pass around. FCOA is roughly a one-third increase in money payable to athletes, which translates roughly out to 24 scholarships ... This is a big boost to our competitiveness, not only against the rest of NCAA but more importantly against Canadian Junior Hockey. Count me as one who would love to see the number of scholarships increase to 25 and enough to allow the occasional voluntary redshirt athlete to develop (but I am also realistic enough to know its unlikely to happen). In any case, going forward, a UND commitment to FCOA strengthens us compared to the past 20 years. To conclude, I'm not going to predict outcomes for the next 20 years, but I will note that the drivers of success are in much stronger condition than 20 years ago. The rest is up to the boys in the room. Aloha.

Dallas' Roussel is a !@#!$!. Capital D as in Diver. Call him just once and I bet it stops.

Thank you for inserting some facts into the discussion. Much appreciated. I would observe that UND has done a nice job of managing their affairs so as to achieve a balance in gender equity.

Very astute. Please don't feed the troll. .

OMG!!! A broken beer bottle! I hope they were able to recover the beer.