ScottM

Here you go ... welcome aboard.

Next week, Shi ... er, Shooter will answer the burning question about Kirby: "Boxers or briefs?".

If it came down to it, I'd bet on Lucia going to the NHL in the next few years ahead of Blais, mainly due to the difference in ages. Then again, Shi ... er, Shooter gets his info from message boards, his bartender, the ranting bum off of the Kellogg exit, WPos and probably Greyeagle too ...

Psst ... Sicatoka, you forgot the Kariya boys and Richard Park on the sig line.

Why of course there's a great deal to discuss on the Stream Yellow board. To wit, recent topics include: the price of Skoal, the price of Milwaukee's Best, how to remove tobacco stains from the front of your "Sunday going to church" Wranglers, the eternal Ford vs. Chevy debate, why do people wear shoes, the vast Fighting Sioux conspiracy to keep 'SU out of the Big Sky, how to brush your remaining three teeth, whether it is really possible to fit two 'SU sorority girls on one flatbed trailer, getting a campus parking permit for your tractor ...

Considering the source, I wouldn't place too much credence in the writer or give it any degree of credibility, especially when you look at participation rates among various racial groups for sports at all levels. Then again, since said writer is a Stream Yellow partisan, I would guess that it's another manifestation of their inherent jealousy and self-loathing when they look at the facilities UND has, and the revenues its teams generate. Sad, really.

I'd have to say Paul Martin having such a nice rookie season is a pleasant surprise. As well, David Hale seems to be doing pretty well since Scott Stevens has been out. But the "Young Guns" obviously don't have an "Enforcer" category.

Great ... now some 'SU alum will probably try to use it as a spitoon or as a feed bucket for their mule ...

She? Anyway, I hope for the best for Grant. The big problem with most separations and dislocations is ligament and tendon damage around the joint.

The end result was about what I expected, a split. Both teams played hard for the most part and did what they had to in order to notch 2 pts each. It was actually a nice demonstration of what hockey should be, fast paced and end-to-end, a concept which some programs fail to grasp. Of course it got chippy and tough at times, the best hockey rivalries are physical and this is no different. Minnesota played hard and they played to win both nights, and so did we. This series was no different from any other hard-fought Sioux-Gopher series: tough, physical and a great test for both programs. The results are what they are, and it's time to move on and look toward the next series. So quit your bitching about refs, calls, fans, ice, etc.

You mean the same Neal Broten who now resides in the state of Wisconsin on a horse farm? That guy?

I think Lucia is just bringing a different perspective to the game. Blais has already said he wants the WCHA title, and then move on to the NC$$ tourney. Lucia seems to focus more on the Title, and everything else in the conference is gravy. After Minnie's tough start, there was a comment by Lucia about doing well enough down the stretch to get into the NC$$ tourney and fighting it out there.

That's a big load of crap the F-M business community spews to try and draw in talent from MSP. (I know, because I've had enough recruiters try that line, while shorting my comp by 60-70%). Granted housing in Fargo may be lower than Minneapolis/St. Paul proper, but it is reasonably comparable to the outer 'burbs. However, property taxes in Fargo are going up like Minneapolis'. Moreover, the costs of most goods and services in Fargo and Minneapolis are approximately the same. On the flip side, Mpls has trees and a few hills.

In Lucia's defense, every interview I've ever seen/heard with him, he's usually very reserved and measured in his statements, much like on the bench. Anybody who thinks he's nervous or feels his team is unprepared for this series hasn't been paying attention.

Genoway has been a very pleasant "surprise". He's been playing like many of us expected him to when he was recruited. I'm glad he's finally found his game and is contributing in ways that don't always end up on the scoreboard.

Ultimately, the NHL and its players will face the following: lower TV revenues, smaller crowds, tighter salaries in the form of a cap, revenue sharing between the league and its players and probably fewer teams. The economics of basketball and its spend your way to a Title mentality cannot continue to dominate hockey. The fanbase is not there, the national level of interest and knowledge of the sport is not there and the $$$ are not there.

I'm perfectly fine if people wish to wear Stetsons, manure covered cowboy boots and belt buckles the size of hub caps. I'm sure that it's a great thing to wear when meeting prospective in-laws, vomiting off the tractor on your way back to the farm after drinking in town or chasing one's "date" through the pasture. However, I don't really see it as a decent hockey uniform. Well, that and the amount of tobacco juice 'SU players and fans would drool on to the ice would be pretty large.

Pretty funny that a Stream Yellow partisan would make demands on a Sioux board. Almost as funny as St. Paul expecting Minneapolis and Hennepin County to fund its Twins stadium proposal. Idiocy knows no bounds.

No. Besides, I could never imagine a hockey game played where the opposition's uniforms consisted of Stetsons, manure covered cowboy boots and belt buckles the size of hub caps.

For as much crap as Wooger gets for his TV commentary, I think this analysis is pretty much on point. It should a great series and probably one of the best in the nation this season.

Are you new to this part of the country? Besides it's been well documented here and with a number of Minnie fans that PA & Dubay are about as clued into college hockey as Craig Dahl.

While it is nice of McLeod to give "lip service" to the overall dismal level of officiating in this league, I really doubt much will change long-term until the coaches, ADs and maybe school presidents demand change. We can email, discuss and cuss until we're blue, but real change will only come from the people who control that WCHA at higher levels, and that is the schools. This isn't a Parise, Suter, Vanek, or (insert your favorite player) issue, this is a quality of play and safety issue. Until the bigshots realize that the overall health of the league, and maybe some of its players, may suffer as a result of this crop of officials, we will probably not see much improvement.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Minnie in the top 3-4 of the WCHA by the end of the season. Briggs is starting to play with more confidence and the rest of the team is settling down, even Tallackson helps out every now and then. Anybody who thought Minnie would be in the basement in March hasn't been paying attention.

See my earlier comments on "Diversity". It's pretty standard for schools with tougher academic requirements to allow exceptions for people that some committee of wheezy academics and granolas thinks will add "value" to the students' experience. Hence, you have a bunch of Michigan, Minnie, Wisco, Northwestern, Texas, etc. jocks majoring in General Studies or __-American Studies.