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Not going to matter? What a crappy way to look at the democratic process. You got a vote. That's more than most people have been able to say throughout history.

Watching that replay of the SCSU player ramming himself in the wall I have to ask...What the hell was he trying to do? Is that one of most spectacular FAIL moments of college sports?

Moving a token number of students down to the ice level actually makes it worse. Whoopee, you've given a portion of the students a whole section! Now they are split up into 2 groups, making it even HARDER to generate a home crowd noise. Way to go! I guess the "alumni first, students last" faction should have just lobbied for a minor league pro team to come to GF if that's what they really wanted. Everyone else gets the fact that a college hockey team is an extension of a college/university...which exists to serve college/university students. "We pay the bills"...whatever. Do they want to take over the dorms too? After all, as ND taxpayers they "pay the bills" in part there too. My only major complaint about the bars is that it takes away any chance to give a large block section to the students. They could have dedicated one end entirely to the student body. No suites, no exclusive bars. Just let the students have an end where they can stand and not bother anyone behind them.

I was at this weekend's series (my wife got to ride on the Zamboni Friday... a lifelong dream ) and I too noticed the lack of "loudness" from the student section. I guess it's probably age and looking back at things with rose-tinted glasses, but even during the drought of the early 90s, which is when I was in school, I would bet money that a half filled student section at the old arena was louder then the entire Ralph now....even for non-marquee matchups against the Seawolves. But you know what? I don't blame the students. They're trying. Who's bright idea was it to confine the STUDENT BODY to the damn upper deck? Hey! Did anyone forget this was COLLEGE hockey? You know, an institution with COLLEGE STUDENTS? It should be THEIR arena, not some fuddy-duddy, kicking back in my leather seat fatass alumni. Eff the alumni. (And I'm one of them). Putting in that many suites, where bitchy people whining about foul language and their "views" getting obstructed would become an issue, was a mistake in the design of that arena. Like everyone else, I was amazed by the building, but a little voice in the back of my head was asking "how does this help?" over many things I saw. A bar at either end (exclusive bars where you need special access no less)....why? One lady let us into the "organ" bar (I think that's what she called it) to snap a couple of pictures ("before the bigwigs get here" she said) and while impressive in and of itself, I couldn't figure out how it would help me watch hockey if I was ever "lucky" enough to be granted admission during the game.

I will. Michigan fled Denver after Thursday. A few stayed for the Hobey, but not many. I was talking to some people at the Skill Competition and they said the bars were full of Michigan fans giving their tickets away after the loss. Depressing, Michigan football is my 2nd favorite team after the CU Buffs (D-I of course, UND would be #1). There was one Michigan guy in front of us who stayed...but he apparently left his jersey at the hotel or at home for the Championship game. Sad...Gopher fans outnumbered Michigan fans.

The best part for this Sioux fan in attendance was watching the Sioux faithful still going strong at the Can. The ones down in the lower bowl were damn near as loud as the BC and Notre Dame contingents. By the end of the game, the Sioux fans and ND fans had bonded and were throwing the "GO!" "IRISH" chants back and forth. I think the Sioux fans had taught the ND fans a chant or two of their own. Good showing!

Big time programs like UND, UoM, Michigan are stepping stones to NHL careers. These are not "kids", these are young men, many of whom are about to become very wealthy playing at the highest level. This isn't some DIII program with a bunch of scrappy walk-ons. This isn't high school. This program, and the elite athletes it brings in, can take a bit of criticism. It won't hurt their delicate feelings. I won't question a player's heart myself..but most definitely can question effort, decision making and skill level. Same goes with the coaching staff. It's a privilege to play for the University of North Dakota, it's a privilege to watch them play, but this isn't Princeton, where just showing up was an accomplishment. You don't get a 100 million dollar arena to call home, you don't get 11,000 passionate fans every weekend, and you don't get the absolute best road following in college hockey and just expect everyone to pat you on your head and give you a participation medal. 1 thread was started with "Fire Hakstol" and I don't think there were more than 2 or three people agreeing with that statement. Yet it's been blown up into some mass movement to can the coach. 1 thread was started with the "Bash Joe Finley"...how many actual SS.com posters actually agreed with that sentiment?...yet again, many people seem to be latching on to that as if it is indicitive of some vast majority of sioux fans.

The world's largest liquor store is up I-25 and Highway 7! DaveCo Liquors. Certified by The Guinness Book of World Records. There are two casino towns just west of Denver. Central City and Blackhawk. Drive down to Colorado Springs and see the Garden of the Gods. Or just stumble around LoDo and drink.

Maybe if they would hate having 6 hung on them 3 Frozen Fours in a row a bit more than they hate changing goalies.... If Roberto Luango can get yanked mid-period, so can a college goalie. Now, maybe the coaches thought that a clearly rattled JPL was still better than anything they had on the bench. But that is even more damning as it reflects on how they recruit, train and prepare their backups. Is it wise to ride a single goalie for 2 years and have no credible backup with any reasonable playing experience? Now it may be noble to stick with JPL because he got you this far...sort of "we're all going down on the Titanic together". But I think the rest of the team deserved at least some token life preserver. Some sign that the coaches were going to throw everything and the kitchen sink out there. If it wasn't good enough..so be it. But to not even try?

Billy Sauer has to absolutely hate the Pepsi Center. Which could be problematic because he was drafted by the Avs. We're left to wonder what a goalie change could have done for the Sioux.

I'd have to agree. The fans were out in droves. Brooklyn's was insane 3 hours before the game. Even the expensive suites pretty much were dominated by Sioux fans. There was some serious support out there. Sometimes it's tough to remember these are a bunch of not much more than kids, but you'd think they'd demand more out of themselves.

Certainly can't be talking about firing a guy who gets you 2 games from the prize year after year. But I really would like to know what and how he prepares the team for the Frozen Four..and compare and contrast that to BC, or heck, even Notre Dame tonight. What is being said in the locker room before the game? Hak has always seemed (to me at least) to be wound pretty tight. Taking over a program like UND, from a highly successful Blais, at such a young age will probably wind anyone pretty tight..but does anyone think it rubs off on the team at the wrong time? How can a team come out and play like that? And talk about slow. Yeesh. Notre Dame would have run circles around us and Michigan would have looked like yellow blurs going by. That's speed.

No, never been out there. Come to think of it, in 12 years down here I don't think I've been farther east of Denver than the airport other than driving along I-76 a few times on the way back from Grand Forks for visits. I've been all over the western part of the state, both north, south and central mountains...but never more than 5 miles east of Denver. Weird.

I spent the first 24 years of my life in North Dakota..I know bad weather. From a ND perspective, 7in of snow isn't much. Now...put 2 million people on the road (seemingly half from California and Texas) and see what happens when the roads get slick. Watch out folks.

I live in Denver and will be at all three games. I hope none of you NoDak folks are thinking you are getting a break from bad weather. We've got 7 inches of snow coming to the metro area overnight and through Thursday! Bring a coat!