PCM

I want to thank everyone for their kind words and compliments throughout the season. I try to respond to the e-mails and private messages I receive, but sometimes a few slip through the cracks. There's a great group of Sioux fans (and fans from another team that I won't mention ) here, and that really makes all my efforts enjoyable and worthwhile. The off-season will be long and hard, but together, we'll get through it.

Here's an interesting note on interference from the NCAA rule book:

Here are some other rules that easily could have been applied to O'Leary's high-sticking/spearing of Spirko. Note the NCAA's "zero tolerance" postion on making contact to the "head or neck area in any manner."

From Page 8 of the 2005 NCAA Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules and Interpretations:

Nobody is questioning that.

Relating to this situation, here are a few interesting quotes from the NCAA's Sept. 2, 2004, open letter to the ice hockey community:

Now you have me violating child labor laws. Thanks a lot, Son!

Contrary to the ugly rumors being spread here, I am.

Probably, but not necessarily.

Go to bed, young man. You're getting cranky.

His computer AND his Legos!

Great! Just great! Now it's out in public! You're grounded for a month, Junior!

Good thing you added that. Someone might think it's weird that we both have beagle avatars.

Because your sitter is on the phone?

Okay, then tell, Mommy and Daddy.

Quick! Tell your wife that you need a new monitor!

You probably missed me because I wasn't there. Oh well. Maybe next year.

I'm old school and proud of it!

All I'd have to do is fall on that munchkin and he'd be toast -- or a pancake.

So should I be concerned about Gwoz coming to Grand Forks to beat me up because I poked fun at his gloves? I'm thinking that anyone who wears a pink tie to coach a national championship hockey game can probably take a bit of ribbing about his choice of gloves.

Oops! I left out the word "not." Thanks for pointing it out.

I think the NCAA shot themselves in the foot on this issue. As Cary Eades said, the Sioux won a lot of respect with their Frozen Four appearance. I think it would be hard for any objective observer of the tournament NOT to conclude that the manner in which the team played and conducted itself reflected positively on the Sioux name. And maybe I was imagining things, but Barry Melrose, Bill Clement and Gary Thorne seemed to take great delight in saying "Fighting Sioux." I got the impression that they wanted to rub the NCAA's nose in its PC position.

I hate this thread. It makes redwing77 seem like a genius.

The thing is, being subjected to criticism is part of coaching. I doubt Hakstol was surprised that some were critical of him when the team wasn't playing well. The expectations of Sioux fans and the local community are always high. Hakstol knew that when he took the job. I think he has handled the criticisim well by refusing to take pot-shots at his critics when given the opportunity to do so. I've always said that the best way to prove your detractors wrong is by being right. That's exactly what Hakstol did.