PCM

It is, but the NCAA also likes to promote the image of college sports as being purely amateur.

Does anyone realize that there's a lot more involved in running a university than making sure people have a good time at hockey games?

Wait a minute. Are we supposed to base our choices on how they played or how cute they are?

What? You don't like the NASCAR look on hockey players? I'd be surprised if the NCAA ever allowed that level of advertising on its players. They don't even allow ads on the boards at the Frozen Four. I noticed at the World Junior Championships in Helsinki that they had advertisements in each of the circles. I found that quite annoying. I found myself wondering if players had any trouble tracking the puck when it moved off the white ice and into the colored circles.

I'm not sure about the opera house. I went to one of those in Prague and there was a lot of noise and screeching. But because I had no idea what was being said, I fell asleep.

Gee, I just don't know. Those are pretty radical commandments. A school that actually tried to follow them might develop a reputation for having classy, enthusiastic fans. We wouldn't want that at UND, would we?

I like this idea. Initially, the KISS (keep it simple, stupid) principle should apply. Cheers that are too complex or clever won't be picked up by most people. The main thing is to get as many people as possible to participate. As they say in the Russian Army, quantity has a quality all its own.

Those are good ideas, YaneA. I hope that you're forwarding them to President Kupchella and Roger Thomas. I encourage others who have made positive suggestions to do the same.

Nope.

Back on topic, there were two good letters to the editor in today's Grand Forks Herald about this subject.

Are you sure that it's not because Division II schools have an unfair advantage?

I'm sure that you're correct about having more of those types of fans at the new Ralph than at the old Ralph. But c'mon. There aren't enough "corporate types" in all of Grand Forks to make a dent in the atmosphere at the REA -- even if every single one of them owned season tickets. This isn't the Twin Cities.

Bad wardrobe design?

So the liberal media loves Eddie. Why am I not surprised?

People continue to say this, but the facts don't back it up. There have been games and series during which student involvement was minimal, yet the atmosphere was terrific. How do you explain that? Don't tell me that it's not possible to have great atmosphere in the arena without standing and swearing. Don't tell me that corporate types and advertising have ruined the atmosphere. I know it's not always true because I've seen it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears. And I've heard coaches and players from opposing teams say after they've lost that when the crowd got behind the Sioux, the game got tougher for them. That's not to say that there aren't things that could be done better or differently to improve the atmosphere because there are. I fully support those efforts. But until we get past all this nit-picking and finger-pointing, it ain't gonna happen.

My impression is that the PA announcer generally tries to abide by that rule. Unfortunately, it sometimes it works out that the puck goes into play before he gets done reading an ad or an announcement. I don't believe that there's a conscious effort to ignore the rule.

And it's my opinion that people are starting to whine about every little thing because the Sioux aren't playing well! Ever notice how none of this stuff seems to matter when the Sioux are winning?

Yeah, they're lining up to shake my hand.

Getting? How is it any different than it ever was? This is amazing.

Good points, jk. Blais also talked about how if the Sioux win their last six games, the league title would be theirs. He said that it comes down to team leadership and which team wants it more. I don't think he's conceding anything.

Fer cryin' out loud, Scott Hennen is simply the freakin' announcer. He doesn't just sit there and dream up stuff to say. He reads the script he's given. If he wasn't saying it, someone else would be. For the record, I do get annoyed by the music blaring from the PA system during almost every stop in play. There have been times when the crowd is really into the game and the noise is starting to pick up, but it's drowned out by a blast of music.

Live from Joe DiMaggio's Restaurant in beautiful downtown Grand Forks. Tim Hennessy and Scott Swygman are the hosts with Coach Dean Blais. Tim started by sending his condolences to WDAZ sportscaster Pat Sweeney who got hit in the forehead by a puck at practice today. Blais said they started practice and shot went up and hit him. He went down immediately. Brad Berry saw it and ran to get a trainer. They took him to the hospital for stitches. Tim said that Mankato might be what the Sioux need because they

What the heck is with all these Bison fans suddenly showing up here to demand that UND play NDSU (as if we have anything to do with it)? Did they just get the news from last week or are they really, really slow readers?

The atmosphere wasn't very good on Friday, but it was certainly better than it was on Saturday. I suspect that part of the reason the atmosphere wasn't good throughout the game on Friday was because all of the Sioux goals were scored early in each period.

I can't really blame J. Parise for any of the goals scored on him in the second period on Saturday. They were the result of some of the worst defensive breakdowns I've ever seen the Sioux make. Once or twice in a period is forgiveable, but four times? I consider the Saturday loss to CC a team loss, not a loss caused by poor goalie play. I felt the same way when the Sioux lost the Friday game at Wisconsin.