ScottM

"So, yous give me five ghost employees, two no works and I'll see to it yous don't have mores union problems, okay? Now, kiss your Godfather's ring ..." <The preceding caption is fictional, but more than believeable.>

I think the Lady (Read: MplsBison) doth protest too much.

Was he wearing his hat?

Maybe he should run for public office. Politicians seem to like spending OPM without any real accountability. Kudos to the 'su Foundation for having more stones than some of bison faithful.

Already done.

LEAVE JOE ALONE!!!

I heard Vern's School of Appliance Repair is looking for a new president.

A number of "free" trips, "gifts", etc. may actually be taxable events, to the giver or the receiver if not properly handled. It's one reason CEOs and the like are often billed for the personal use of corporate jets.

I wonder if the IRS would be interested in some of these transactions ...

FTFY

If I were an 'su alum, which through the grace of God I am not, I'd really question where my donor dollars have been going under Smokin' Joe's regime.

Delaney may be "powerful", but the SEC, Pac10 and Big12 are usually eating his conference's lunch in the Bowls and alot of other non-conference play. Maybe the pressure of failing to bring home a national title in the bigger sports recently is gettting to him. I still don't see the non-hockey playing B10 schools like IU, Purdue or Northwestern really caring about hockey, let alone allowing an effectively "dilution" of the B10 by allowing smaller hockey schools in. I hate to break it to Mr. Delaney, but the BTN was/is a helluva gamble from the start, and contriving "rivalries" between the hockey schools and some also-rans from other non-B10 conferences will never change that. And for the record, I wouldn't support a BTHC even if UND was part of the package.

I think those favoring a BTHC fail to grasp that hockey is very much a niche sport that commands the top 1-2 revenue spots at only handful of schools across the country. To try and treat it like FB or bouncyball, and presume there will be no downside in revenue, fan interest, etc. is very short sighted. Notre Dame may have a very good team at times, but it is not a hockey school, and its fanbase is probably pretty shallow in that regard, and I doubt they will be able to fill their tourney seats in suburban Chicago in a few months. Moreover, pushing a BTHC as some salve for the Big Ten network is not going to work well, regardless if they try to contrive rivalries with ND, Bowling Green, etc. There are plenty of other B10 schools that do not have varsity hockey programs, and I doubt they are going to foot the bill to go that direction. Schools like UND, etc. will probably fare well over time, since they would not be confined to such a small conference. But the bigger schools like Minnesota, Michigan, and even dear old Wisconsin, may eventually end up losing more if they move into their own little clubby conference. And as much as we may hate to admit it, Minnesota is generally the star of western hockey in alot of minds.

I'd bet Maturi actually looked at the money the current alignment brings to Minnesota's coffers, and figured it made no fiscal sense to upset the apple cart. Sorry, but duhOhio State and WMU are not going to fill Mariucci like UND, St. Cloud or even UMD usually do.

It's probably just called "creative accounting" ... :) /another cheap shot

And you call yourself a hockey fan ...

LA lost two NFL teams within a few years of each other and nobody really noticed. I can't imagine it's a pressing issue for most of the area especially given the economic problems in southern Cali and Cali in general. And nobody really goes to COI, except to work or when they get lost. Build in west LA or the SF Valley or perhaps rehab the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and ... you may be on to something. But LA's football scene is really dominated by USC. And Shooter? He's about as credible as Sid in schilling for a new Vikings stadium with his "rumors", "little birds" and delusions of relevance.

Come on you guys. George is just upset he doesn't have the sand to actually coach at UND. :D

Okay ... Jets ... too obvious with CAS ... Storm ... more marketing, focus-group-based crap ... Force ... (see Storm) Express ... (see Storm) Less obvious, but still possible dark horses ... Sugar Beet Stench ... Green Tide ... Mosquitos ... Pigeons ... Coots ... Loons ...

Obviously, they've ignored the fact that state-regulated casinos used to plug state budget holes have been taking it in the shorts the past year or two. Linky

I'm more of a 'Horns fan, mainly to offset the unexplained presence of so many Sooners around here, but I was quietly hoping TT would turn in the upset this one time.

I've been saying as much since the surrender "settlement" was announced.

Love to meet the Blackhawks in the Final.

Don't worry guys, I've found the source of the overruns ...