MafiaMan

I work 3 blocks from the X. Parking is on the house for me!

My apologies on doubting your facts. Yep, management has it down pat...sucky season, call up a few locals at the end of the season for the hometown fans who remember the college boys gone pro (insert Travis Roche, Eric Westrum, and others here), and put your head in the sand and spend no money because if fans will come to watch mediocre talent, what's the problem? I had free "on the ice" tickets to the Red Wings game earlier this year. $200 face value for each ticket. I took my four year old son and still somehow managed to spend $40-$50 in drinks and concessions alone.

Southernmn, I stand corrected. I had e-mailed a friend of mine who discussed attendance this season with me. He is a season ticket holder and according to him, the streak is indeed alive and well. I do know the difference between tickets sold and actual attendance, though. You are correct on the catch-22 as well. Did you notice the announcement of another ticket price hike for next season? Yikes.

Re-read my post above. I recall it being mentioned in the local media that a game against the Kings (either 2003-2004 or this past season) that was the first non sell-out. I'm hunting for the proof to back it up, but they don't exactly advertise games not sold out on www.wild.com.

I agree 100%. When the Wild stop selling out games, then they will be forced to put a better product on the ice. Until then, who cares? The team is a loser, but most of the games are sold-out. It's a win-win situation for ownership.

This is an untrue statement. I'm trying to find the facts somewhere to back it up, but I can vividly recall the news media mentioning the Wild streak of sell-outs coming to an end a while back. I can't recall, though, if it was the 2003-2004 season or this past season.

Did you notice the last few weeks of this season? Tickets sold is one thing...actual fans in the seats? Totally another.

If you've paid any attention to the late-season call-ups and pre-season rosters over the past several years, you would notice that the Wild love to call up the local kids and former Gopher greats in an effort to fill the seats at the X for late-season or pre-season games.

And nothing else?

It's all my fault.

Again, you gotta get the right kind. The $2.50 aren't worth a hoot. Google or hit up Ebay and type in "Forever Collectables bobble" or "FC bobble" and tell me that those things don't look like the real Kevin Garnett, Shaq, Mike Schmidt, Babe Ruth, Tom Brady, Steve Yzerman, or Mark Messier.

Um...how about Forever Collectables Fighting Sioux bobbleheads? Cmon, REA, how about "Legends of the North"?

I hope you enjoyed your ride home from Grand Forks a few weeks ago, State of Hockey. I know I did.

Absolutely hilarious, Phil. By your own estimation, you guess that about 1/2 of the Native American population in North Dakota wants a name change and that's good enough for you. Umm...using your math, that means 1/2 would like the name kept the same. What about them? Don't they count? Unbelievable. I think in threads gone by there was a discussion of Phil Jackson and many on here doubted me when it came to his views on the Sioux nickname. I hate to say 'I told ya so,' but I did tell ya so.

A heckofa first post, Mr Prpich. I make fairly frequent road trips around the WCHA rinks and my 4 year old still talks about sitting right behind the Sioux bench in November 2004 in Houghton. The unbelievable Frozen Four run last year and watching the Sioux win the WCHA Final Five this year rank right up there on my list of Sioux hockey memories. It was a pleasure watching you play in the green, white, and black. Best of luck to you.

And pre-season polls mean everything, don't they? Here's a look at this past season's NFL pre-season playoff teams as brought to you by SI magazine: AFC playoff teams: Ravens, Jets, Steelers, Chiefs, Colts, Patriots NFC playoff teams: Cowboys, Vikings, Falcons, Rams, Panthers, Eagles Of those 12 teams, only the Steelers, Colts, Patriots, and Panthers made the playoffs. Now, seriously, would anyone think the Patriots or Colts could have missed the playoffs? That would mean SI picked 1 out of 10 other playoff teams not named New England or Indianapolis. What's that all spell? It's nice to debate, but pre-season polls and rankings don't mean a thing.

I'm still at a loss for words as to how a 2005-2006 Gopher hockey fan can call the Sioux of this past season underachievers. Look in the mirror.

LOL...I just went fishing for it and found it on page 9. I noticed the championship game clips from the Final Five don't work anymore, though.

On another video clip note...I forgot to save the Spirko undressing of Chris Harrington in last year's Final Five 3rd place game. Can someone point me in the right direction?

Sorry, I just love this thread and hate to see it go.

In another interesting bit of Michigan trivia, Fritz Crisler also pronounced Michigan with a drawl, which is why you often hear Chris Fowler on ESPN's College Gameday show pronounce the word "Meeeeee-chigan" as a tribute to Mr. Crisler.

I'd also like a poster. Not all Sioux fans reside in Grand Forks. Someone over at REA help us out!

The only thing I find laughable is Minnesota's Pride on Ice losing to a team with no athletes on scholarship.

I have long thought about getting the new logo on my other shoulderblade. How many greenbacks did that set you back?

AZSIOUX, that tatt rocks!