ScottM

Well, Grandpa Sid finally explained Minnie's loss in his 2/19 column in the Strib. Not an "alibi" but an explanation ... "This isn't an alibi for the Gophers men's hockey team that lost four games in a row to Minnesota Duluth, *but* the average age of UMD's players is 22.32 years compared to 20.79 for the Gophers' players. UMD has eight Canadians, some with junior hockey experience. The Gophers have one Canadian (defenseman Peter Kennedy) and one international player (forward Thomas Vanek)." Sid "My best friend is Geritol" Hartman Now if Minnie recruited more, older Canadians, they'd be "alright".

Here it is folks, everybody's favorite Bison fan-turned Sioux fan-turned conservative-turned liberal, but constant windbag has managed to get some ink in the Strib. Enjoy. Strib

It's easier to explain things to the Stream Yellow crowd by using stick figures.

Anybody who thinks Blais would bring in a goalie and use scholarship $$$, especially after the past couple of seasons, to appease one member of his team, or to maintain a "pipeline", is a complete idiot. This is a guy who has benched guys now starting in the NHL, e.g., Wilson, Blake, etc., for not playing well. You play well, or you don't play at all. Brandt had the goalie job all to himself coming into the season and, for whatever reasons, has not played well enough to be "the man". As for the rest of the team, if they can't play with the same high level of play in front of one guy or the other, then perhaps they should start wearing ties and sitting in the stands. As it stands, I'd bet $20 that regardless of what ZParise does after this season, JParise will be playing at REA next season, and Brandt won't.

Congrats to the women's team. They've had a pretty nice season for a young squad, and played some tough competition. Hopefully they can build on this and raise a few Title Banners of their own in the near future.

I know Xcel Energy has been kicking around a major windpower generating facility in various capacities for a few years in western Minnesota. One of the biggest problems is the initial capital outlay, from building the towers to the actual lines and other infrastructure to deliver the electricity to customers. I believe, although it's been awhile since I read anything on it, that Xcel was anticipating an upfront cost of at least $3 billion for what they want to do to deliver the power to the upper midwest and wean itself off fossil and nuclear fuels over time. However, given the reluctance of utilities regulators to increase rates and the speculative nature of large scale windpower, it's been near impossible to float the idea to the capital markets. One of the biggest problems with any large scale, or even small scale, energy project is that you get alot of NIMBY protests from people where the lines and other equipment would be located.

In 7 years at UND, for undergrad and law, tuition and fees were raised every year but one as I recall. However, if you talk about trimming programs, cutting out useless BS "-Studies" majors/minors, etc. the faculty, many students, etc. go nuts and then bitch about increased tuition and fees, and lack of space and resources for their 2-3 person programs...

Psst ... check out Shattuck's colors ...

All the goalie coaching in the world would do s**t if the other guys on the ice don't do their jobs, which is basically controlling the puck and making the other guy's goalies miserable. I think a goalie coach, a GTA, volunteer or whatever is a "must have" at any decent program. (I believe Stauber brought a great deal to Minnesota's program the past few years.) Blais was a forward and the other coaches were d-men, I believe. Goalies are strange animals, and if their confidence is shot, they are finished. Coaching in proper technique is a great start, but it probably helps more if the guy isn't left to fend for himself while his teammates watch the clock or scratch their asses. Edit: Then again, maybe if we do have another "goalie problem", maybe we can recruit this guy. Oh wait, he's already one of our forwards.

One thing that always perplexed me about NoDak's higher ed system was why Valley City and Mayville had 4 year schools, and I believe they offer grad degrees too, when both are within a fairly short drive of Fargo or GF. I thought they would be nice 2 year "feeder" schools or community colleges. Then again, I suppose they'll linger a slow, festering death, much like the communities in which they reside.

I'd bet the issue comes up again, in a big way, when Chaps and the Stream Yellow crowd go back to the legislature begging for money for refurbishing their facilities, covering gaps in revenue due to travel and playing in half empty venues, etc. They've already tried to stiff Fargo taxpayers into building new locker rooms and offices at the FloodDome, so I'd guess they'll try to screw over the entire state at some point, again.

I'm talking about the people, not snotty students, who have seasons at mid-ice, and don't sell those tickets to go drinking at Sally's when there's an NC game.

I'm going to play "devil's advocate". In my view, while the team is hitting a few rough patches, I don't really think this should be unexpected. Minnesota, UMD and I believe CC were all picked to be top 5-6 teams in the league, with Wisco on the edges. The level of play in this league and the talent, top to bottom, is the best in the country. I was heartened by the Friday victory, as it was very convincing and it seemed the team hit on all cylinders. Saturday's loss was not for lack of effort, so much as failing to solve a hot goaltender and IMO a failure to adjust to the changing tone of the game in the second and third periods. I would submit that one reason Blais is shifting lines around is to solidify in his mind who should be playing with whom down the stretch. We are fortunate in that we have not had the injuries afflicting other teams, Minnesota for example. However, this team needs to focus on winning each night, regardless of who's on their shift or who's in net. I'd like to think this team is starting to peak, a few losses notwithstanding. However, there are still players who should be contributing who are MIA. Perhaps, this was their "last chance" to soldify their place in the lineup. We'll see, but I still think this team has the talent and coaching to take it to the next level. Whether they have the confidence and fortitude to do it ... As far as REA, a building does not make a team. People bitch and whine about new REA versus old REA, etc. However, people also complained when the team moved into old REA from the barn and there was no "atmoshere" and no "crowd support". A new barn is like a new house, it takes a few years to get used to it and get comfortable with it and its nuances. When Minnesota moved into new Mariucci, it took some seasons for them and their fans to make the place their own. Give it time and let the new REA develop its own atmosphere and spirit. /gets off soap box

Well, yeah, us, Notre Dame, Illinois, Florida State, San Diego State, Utah, Winona State, etc. Jackass, for as much pleasure as you get rattling around on this site and spewing your idiotic bilge, I would suspect you go through a lot of Kleenex.

So anyway last night, I'm watching the UMD game with some Michigan and Wisco alums who are also hockey guys, and FSN pans to the UMD fan section and we see a bunch of guys with "Penalty Box" shirts on. One of my buddies looks over, and says, "WTF is the 'Penalty Box'? Some support group for fat men?" Just thought I'd share that.

Or maybe just patently stupid.

That thud you heard last night, boys 'n girls, was SiouxperDave falling off the bandwagon.

"Oh Lord, we beg thee that our bitter rivals do their job tonight and beat the mangy mutts of Duloot. We realize that this is a bizarre request oh Lord, but we need the vermin to win in order to benefit our beloved Sioux. As well, oh Lord, we pray that you grant your anointed son, Zach Christo, more divine powers so that he may smite the flea-bitten felines tonight. Please bless and keep Saint Bucks and help him to destroy the enemy tonight with his divine Easton staff and make his line Money. We thank you dear Lord for our Temple of Hockey, and pray that it will soon see another Title banner raised. In the name of Toe Blake, Maurice Richard and Tiger Williams (even though he's not dead yet), Amen."

Gynmastics? Wrestling? Boxing? Bouncyball? Outside? Hockey? Figure skating? Outside? /scratches head as he ponders another round of idiotic statements from a Prestone addict

Not only at UND either. Minnesota's Men's hockey program makes money too. Then again, that's a "real" D1 school, where only Men's bouncyball and FB make money, the rest lose it.

And there's no room for your insipid comments on some Stream Yellow fan site?

Actually, the 'SU fans on this site are rather amusing, kind of like the retarded cousin who shows up for family reunions before we get tired of his "potato salad in his socks" trick. They visit this site to compensate for that fact nobody here really cares about their little move the lower tier of D1, that Chaps & Co. are trying to figure out how to fill their revenue gaps without raping ND taxpayers, that UND has a hockey team that garners national attention (Hello NY Times, again), that UND generates actual revenue from its athletic programs, UND is the "crown jewel" of the ND Higher Ed system, etc. This list is endless ... Just sit back, have a beer and watch the comedy ...

The only sh*t around here is between your ears. Now, go back to the sheep pen, pick up your date and head into town for a few Milwaukee's Best before you call it a night.

That was a nice comeback. Stupid thread topic, but a nice comeback.

Here's a bit of national press on this weekend's series ____________________ "No Rest for Colorado College" By MARK SCHEERER Published: February 11, 2004, New York Times "It is as if someone took a broomstick to a hornet's nest under the eaves, as far as Colorado College Coach Scott Owens is concerned. High-flying North Dakota was taken down twice, 4-3 and 5-2, at Wisconsin last weekend and was knocked out of the top spot in the U.S. College Hockey Online poll. And now Owens's Tigers have to venture into Grand Forks, N.D., and face the Fighting Sioux on their home ice in a weekend series. "Oh yes, the second we saw the scores come across, we figured we couldn't have picked a worse time," Owens said in a telephone interview from Denver. "And I'm not just talking weather. But that's the way things worked out." Owens had not seen a tape of Wisconsin's victories over North Dakota (19-5-3, 13-4-3 Western Collegiate Hockey Association), but he had looked at footage of North Dakota's games at Denver in late November. "You know what?" he said. "They just kind of come at you in waves and they skate well and their transition game is just unbelievable. "The only thing good I can say is at least we were able to win four of our last five games." Colorado College (15-10-3, 8-10-2) had been hit by injuries and illnesses early in the season and had been without a couple of important players who competed in the world junior championships in Finland. A five-game losing streak in mid-January is, Owens hopes, the last of the team's troubles. "We haven't been cohesive," he said. "We've had trouble putting the puck in the net. Some of that is youth and inexperience, and some of that is everybody getting their roles redefined." The Tigers finish the regular season with series against Minnesota-Duluth, St. Cloud State and Denver, which all have better overall records than the Tigers. "The good side is they are teams that will help our strength of schedule, and if we can win some of them, it will definitely help us in the PairWise," said Owens, referring to the power-ranking formula used to determine the at-large selections among the 16 teams for the N.C.A.A. tournament in March.