MafiaMan

It's a done deal, folks. I'm headin' up to da Yoo-Pee. Go Sioux...beat dem der Huskies!

I seem to recall a few people calling Domino's and pizzas being delivered while I stood in line. Good call!

Nice point, Diggler. In fact, I'm with you on a few of those. I never heard as much whining with the old arena as I do with the new one. The new one is pricing both students and joe fan our of existence. I doubt if Ralph Engelstad wanted to see NHL pricing for college hockey. At least I hope he didn't want to see that.

Back in the day...wow...I am gonna sound like my dad with this comment... In 1988, there was no such thing as student tickets or anything else. You stood in line and when the ticket clicker reached approximately 3,000, everyone else outside got to go back home. You snooze, you lose. I recall February 1989 when the Gophers came to town in what was probably -20 weather. A group of friends and I got in line outside the old Engelstad Arena at 3:00 pm and waited three hours for the doors to open. By the time 4:00 pm came, there were probably 1000-2000 fans in line and by 5:00 pm, I'd bet there were over 5,000 fans hoping to get in. The line extended all the way under Columbia Road and past the old Memorial Union and Library. Now THAT was dedication. The problem now is plain and simple: MONEY. It costs money every time a discounted student is let into the arena, the arena is losing money because of the "discounted" priciing. So the powers-that-be essentially have two options: 1) Limit the number of students so they can sell more full-price tickets or 2) Increase the number of students and raise prices thru the roof for everyone else to make up for the lost revenue. Either way, someone loses, and that's what is sad about it. Now, even though I do feel sympathy for the students on this issue, it does seem like some of them feel they should be entitled to tickets into the games. Have you ever seen the people camping out at Duke for student tickets for their basketball games? It's not a lot different and the problem is supply and demand, simple economics. My last two years at UND (1991 and 1992), you couldn't GIVE away student ID's to people wanting to go. What's the solution? I hope someone figures it out before it's too late. Like I've said before, though, get the focus off of the damn bars and silly side-shows going on and get it back on the hockey game.

I was at the games last year and can certainly say that I almost like the road games more than the home games nowadays. One of my favorite memories was a stick-salute from the team to the Sioux fans in attendance at the National Concrete Center on the campus of St Cloud Community College. Last year's sweep @ Mankato was nice, too, given the previous year's performance there by the Sioux. Let's rock Mankato!

I know WPoS. Like I said, you're pretty cool...most of the time. You miss Canadians occupying Sioux roster spots? I miss Doug Woog's constant whining during games because his Gophers are choking. Oh, wait. Nevermind, now it's even worse because I have to listen to him "announce" games.

WPoS, Normally you're pretty cool, but your recruiting from Minnesota argument is totally bogus. North Dakota's 2003 population was just over 633,000. By contrast, Minnesota's state population is just over 5 million people. Small town boys basketball is life in North Dakota the way hockey is life to small town and big city Minnesota. That's just the way it is. So if your argument is that the Sioux should pick just North Dakota kids from the handful of schools within the state that actually play hockey, it's not logical. That being said, UND can't win. They recruit Canadian kids, Minnesota fans cry fowl. They recruit Minnesota kids and Minnesota fans cry fowl. Tell a Gopher fan that Minny has never won a title without a foreign player on the roster and you get "I never supported that policy anyways." Funny story...back in the Final Five title game a few years ago, a Gopher fan in front of me loudly announced that he hated North Dakota because of all the Canadians on the roster and said he was cheering for St Cloud State because he wanted to support the "Minnesota kids." I showed him my tournament guide and asked him to count out the Minnesota kids on the two rosters and compare with the number of Canadians. After he was done, he turned around and threw the guide back at me and said "So what?".

dagies, airmail, and teamsioux, you guys sure have hit the nail on the head. The old Engelstad was all about the hockey. Goofy novelty acts (Thunder, for example), were for the most part ignored. The focus was on hockey. Now it's on shooting t-shirts into the stands, the jumbo-tron, talking on your cell phone, and standing around at the bar waiting for a beer with your back turned to the hockey game. People almost forget there's a game going on. What's next, maybe a pole installed inside a bar somewhere and have a Sioux-Per Strip Club? It's gotten out-of-control and the money-making ideas are only going to get worse. How about opening the arena at 9:00 am on gameday so people can come in and get good and drunk hours before the first puck hits the ice? Talk about a money-maker. I seem to recall a line from the movie "Gladiator" that might work here. I can't remember exactly, so forgive me if it's off a bit, but it was Maximus' comment about Nero's Rome..."Ceasar had a vision of Rome once AND THIS IS NOT IT."

How come "money" didn't seem to be such a big issue in the old arena? You know what really sucks is that the UND Fighting Sioux are becoming North Dakota's NHL hockey team. Only the elite elite will be able to afford to go to a game. Last year, I was in Grand Forks for the Subway Holiday "Classic." I decided to just stay for the semi-final games and skip the UND/Wayne State final. I couldn't sell the tickets so just before I checked out of my hotel room, I asked the desk clerk if he wanted to go see a game. He told me he had lived in Grand Forks his whole life and loved Sioux hockey, but couldn't afford to go to the games anymore and hadn't seen the new arena. I asked him if he would go if he had the chance and he replied "he** yea!". Then I dropped the tickets on the counter and wished him a Merry Christmas. I'm not nominating myself for sainthood or anything, but it really bothered me that a regular joe in Grand Forks could only dream of going to a game at the new arena. It's all about the almighty dollar these days. Right or wrong, good, bad, or indifferent, that's what it is about. This might be the first year in recent memory (I graduated in 1992 from UND) that I don't make a single trip back to Grand Forks for a game. I think I'd rather go catch a road series or two and see some hockey fans...not some beer-chugging-is-there-a-game-going-on-tonite-hey-I'm-on-my-cell-phone-corporate-arena-atmosphere. I can stay in Mpls/St Paul and go see that at Target Center or Xcel Energy Center. Flame away...I know I'm gonna get toasted on this one by fans calling me a moron and telling me that they'll buy my tickets happily. Get this game back to what it's about...the true hockey fans and the students.

Wow. I thought I knew of all the small-town NoDak schools, but I'll admit...I'm looking up Zahl right now on www.mapquest.com. North of Williston....hmnnn...you must be familiar with the Epping Eagles, then, dakotaboy? Aren't they North Dakota's Hoosiers? How about the Dakota Nimrods? Oh wait...that one's already taken.

Thanks for the scoop, NorthDakotaHockey. I wanted to bring my 3 year old to a series this season and I think that's the one.

I'm pondering making a trip to da UP over Thanksgiving weekend to see the Sioux /Tech series. Anyone made the trip before who can give me the 4-1-1 on a decent place to stay and maybe the location of a nice toboggan run in town? I've wanted to hit this venue for years and this might be the time. Thanks, MafiaMan

You're preaching to the choir, Siouxper Dave. I have season tickets to the games in GF, but would much rather go to games in Mankato, Minneapolis, St Cloud, Duluth, or Hougthon than Grand Forks now. It's not a college atmosphere anymore...

I'd possibly part with my 1992 version...but it would take a lot more than $100 for me to give it up.

I saw one for sale on ebay a while back, Bobyck. I'm not sure if it was the full-size front logo or a smaller version, but it was on there. Otherwise, the only place I know to find one is in my closet on my #9 green jersey.

Diggler, Not one, but TWO Sioux fans giving the Gophers props for doing something right? The apocalypse is upon us!

At Mariucci, rush tickets are sold and the buyers scrounge around to find an empty seat. However, if the rightful ticket owner of that seat shows up at any time during the game, the rushee is forced to go find a different seat. It's not rocket science.

Yea, yea, yea, I know the pic...I was joking, since that pic reminded me of my own college days...good times...I'm below on the right with the balding mini-mullet...a classic look for sure! Below that is the pic of my son and I shortly after I paid the extra $5 so he could see his first Sioux game. On the plus side, having "HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHAWN" displayed on the big screen and a quick shot of him on my lap up there didn't cost me $25 back then. again! 1992 MafiaMan Ten Years Later

The captain's C is certainly an honor to wear. Just keep it off your replica jersey when you're walking around REA. Then you just look silly!

AZSioux, Is that your fraternity picture from your days at Sigma Alpha Epsilon? LOL.

The last time I checked, Chris did have plenty of green and black material. Unless he's making the Hill-Murray jerseys, he may still have some left that he probably wouldn't mind getting rid of.

The Friday night game two years ago, I was let thru the turnstile w/no problems. The Saturday night game is when a security guard stopped me and escorted me back to the ticket window where I purchased the $5 ticket for my son (who was sleeping at the time). I brought him up for one game last season (the holiday tournament) and had no problem getting him in. Nice to see that suggestions are being listened to. It sure can't hurt to hear some of the issues/problems.

Good luck, dagies. Let's just say Chris and the UND administration has had a bit of a falling out about the Sioux jerseys and leave it at that, shall we?

Find out why I had to pay an extra $5 for a "lap ticket" for my then one-year old son to attend. I'm sure he has fond memories of his first Sioux game.

WPoS...I bet the Dogs would give you that Final Five championship in exchange for the thumping you got a week later...