MafiaMan

P.S.'s to Columbus bus trip... Hopped on Sioux bus with temp in Minneapolis/St Paul hovering around 35 degrees. I'm wearing shorts, sandals (no socks), and a long-sleeve t-shirt. Most fans coming from Grand Forks appear to have packed winter survival gear and some even chuckle at me. I'm witnessing many winter coats, boots, and hats. Sometime on Saturday afternoon as we're all basking in the 75 degree sun outside of our hotel, someone asks me how I knew to pack only shorts and t-shirts as opposed to winter clothes. "The internet...I checked the Columbus forecast before we left" was my reply. Many fans had hob-knobbed to Wal-Mart and purchased some lighter clothes during the weekend. Thanks to a mob-rule vote, Sioux bus decides to stop on Thursday am for breakfast en route to Columbus. I warn folks that the big city is prone to traffic accidents and that it may not be wise to risk losing time on the way to the arena. No problem, most say. We will arrive ten minutes before Denver/Colorado College puck-drop. After a 3 lane freeway closure somewhere outside of Columbus and an extra hour or so of travel time because of a major accident, we arrive at the arena...I believe the first game was well into the 3rd period. I recall getting there with 6 or so minutes left in the game. Hopefully the people who insisted on Cracker Barrel that morning felt the food was worth it!

Frozen Four in Columbus....I'm picked up by Al's Sioux bus in Oakdale, MN, after making arrangements for it to stop there. Eight minutes later, we stop just across the MN/WI border for breakfast at Perkin's in Hudson WI. Had I known that in advance, I would have just travelled a few more minutes east and parked there for the weekend. Anywhoo...we roll into Columbus and our bus takes a venture into what you could say might not be the best part of town. I joke out loud that it would only be too perfect if our hotel was located near a strip club. Just before making a right turn into the hotel parking lot, we see look on our left and see a tin shed with a large sign attached to it reading "THE PLATINUM FOX." I grinned to myself and said out loud "jackpot." Not only is it in the vicinity of our hotel, it's directly across the street from it! Thursday night, some male "fans" and I head over to said establishment after the Sioux semi-final victory over Minnesota. The locals wondered why so many people in the place were wearing green hockey jerseys. They assumed the only event going on in Columbus over the weekend was Buckeye spring football practice. Not so fast, my friend. After haggling with the bouncer and informing him that a hundred Sioux fans were staying at a hotel across the street for the weekend, I convinced him to waive the cover charge for anyone who walked into the club wearing the color green. At some point in the evening, some adventuresome FEMALE Sioux fans wandered over to see what the boys were up to. UND fans took over the place and a good time was had by all. To this day, I still run into people from the Columbus Sioux bus. We don't need to say 'hi' or 'Go Sioux' to each other. We simply chuckle and say the words 'The Platinum Fox.' Oh, the memories...had only Denver not ruined Saturday night, that trip would have been epic.

I know nuss-ink!

My pleasure. Send me your phone number or e-mail address and I will send pics of the group by the Hoggsbreath sign. I have had some people mention a Hoggsbreath brunch again this weekend, provided the Sioux win on Thursday. Can someone convince Al's bus to make the trip from Inver Grove Heights to Little Canada? I would bet the farm Tom would set us up with an all-you-can-eat brunch if I had a ton of people show up on Saturday!

I tried the ESPN3.com feed via computer last night...SUCKED! C'mon, kids, we're packin' up for Joe Sensor's!

I wonder if UMD kept the dye jobs from the Final Five? HIGH SCHOOL!

Four FREE tickets to today's 2pm game available to the first person who sends me a text at 612 386 8207 and can pick them up in Hudson WI!

You're just upset because your team is only going to be around for one game this weekend!

That's a little self-serving, isn't it?

Last year's marquee read "Welcome North Dakota Fighting Sioux Hockey Fans." I was only disappointed because it was visible only as you drive SOUTH on Rice Street, not north.

So that's 13 not including my gang. OK, I'll put out the word that we're looking at 15-20. Anyone else? What do you want on the Hoggsbreath marquee? I'm calling Tom tomorrow and they will have the display up on Saturday morning for us.

OK, I've decided to keep this at 11 am Saturday morning. Can I please get a guess-timate on attendance. A little thin in the numbers last year...hoping for some more faces this year. As stated earlier, there will be some door prizes this year. Please post if you are attending and the number in your party. I would like to have a list to the Hoggsbreath by Friday morning so they can prepare for our group. Obviously, Saturday mornings aren't usually very busy...

The Hoggsbreath is kid-friendly during the daytime and from about 11am to 2pm, it's not all that busy. Kids are welcome!

It's straight north on 35E and then 1 exit west on 36. It's about 7 minutes from downtown. I've been known to pick up some fans along the way as I live in the south metro...

I think it would be AWESOME if someone could convince Al's bus to make the trek. If I had advance notice of this, perhaps I could get the Hoggsbreath to put together some sort of late breakfast buffet or something. Someone with connections to Al, make it happen!

Ouch. The Wild vs Blue Jackets game on the 19th is at 1:00 pm. If we keep the Hoggsbreath get-together an 11:00 am brunch, you might be able to pull that off. Any later and it's a no-go.

Some of the kids used to tease Shawn and me at the practices and games, but you'd probably be surprised to know that several of the hard-core Gopher fans in the bunch have now turned into Sioux fans.

Thank you again to all of this year's SiouxSports.com donors. I can't tell you how much your generosity is appreciated. The Shawn Thompson College Scholarship Fund Kennedy Hockey Booster Club received another $350 in donations this year. Last year's contributions totalled $500. The association was very appreciative of the sponsorship and SiouxSports.com is listed on the sponsors page of the KennedyHockey.Org web site. In addition, SiouxSports.com was also listed very prominently in this year's Mite Jamboree Weekend Game Program. I will have some extra copies available in a few weeks at the Hoggsbreath for anyone wishing to look thru one or keep one as a souvenir. This year's Intermediate Mites team officially lost one game all season, a 2-1 heartbreaker to Burnsville at this past weekend's Mite Jamboree. They followed up that loss, however, with a 4-2 win over New Prague in this past Sunday's season finale. The Kennedy Advanced Mites team defeated arch-rival Jefferson 7-3 in the weekend finale. The mite coaches have done an outstanding job this season and hopefully Kennedy Hockey is on the rise again in the Twin Cities. Thank you again, donors. If this is indeed the last-ever SiouxSports.com team in Bloomington, we sure enjoyed the season.

Like in, say, 2011? Rumor has it...door prizes!

Saturday, March 19th, 2011...sometime before the 7:00 pm title game but AFTER 11:00 am as we have done in years past. Book it, Danno.

Tempting...my son has a mites game in Prior Lake that wil end around 3:00 pm. I'd be flying solo so this might be a sweet move. I won't have access to SiouxSports.com but you can text me at 612-386-8207. I'm not sure I can pull it off but let me know price and we'll go from there. Thanks, MafiaMan

The Kennedy Intermediate SiouxSports.com mites are 3-0 after a 3-0 win over Eden Prairie last Sunday. They are on the road in EP this Sunday to play another one of EP's 6 mites teams.

SiouxSports.com Intermediate Mites are 2-0 after a win against another Prior Lake team last Sunday. Up next is Eden Prairie #6 this Sunday at BIG at 11:30 am. p.s. MafiaMan Jr in the books with 2 assists as right defenseman.

The "Minnesota Rule" also applied approximately 10 or so years ago, the last time the tournament was held at The Bradley Center in Milwaukee. I despise the Gophers as much as anyone, but calling it "The Minnesota Rule" is a bit misleading. If the WCHA Final Five was played every year in Grand Forks and no matter what seed they were, the Sioux played the 7:00 pm Friday semi-final game, would it then be "The Sioux Rule"?

The Intermediate Gold mites are getting set for their first game...coming up December 28th!