MafiaMan

DaveK, Very gutsy stance on fighting. Let me explain why I like fighting and then why I don't. Why I do: The 1997 Red Wings playing Colorado Avalanche at home. Red Wings were embarrassed at the hands of the Avs in the 1996 playoffs and hadn't won a game against them in 1997. This was a March game and it was 5-0 Avalanche in the third period. The Wings started mucking it up and the whole thing got out of hand. After multiple player ejections and Patrick Roy and Mike Vernon duked it out at center ice, they resumed play. In 10 minutes, the Wings scored 5 goals and put the game into OT and they ended up winning 6-5. A few weeks later, they met in the playoffs and any doubt about how the Wings would play was erased. They wound up winning the 1997 Stanley Cup. The fights changed their attitudes against Colorado and losing to the Avs was no longer tolerated. Why I don't: Marty McSorley gooning it up, thugs taking the ice specifically to injure the opposing team's superstar, starting a fight with 10 seconds left in a game where you are losing 5-1 and the outcome has long been decided. Stupid! Fighting does serve its purpose in a 2-0 game much like switching goalies is designed to do. It does have a purpose. However, when not used for a purpose (see Todd Bertuzzi video from a while back), it makes the sport look bad, and THAT should not be tolerated either.

Relax dagies. Come join us for that drink! I can see the 3-peat banners for the Gophers already and UND hoisting banner #8. Pssst...cmon Mafia...dream's over.

Zach Parise won't HELP Sioux recruiting? Let's see...Dean practically gave his blessing to Zach turning pro. Do you think there is something to be said for that? Imagine Don Lucia telling a recruit that Zach regretted his decision to go to UND and a prospect wanted to confirm that with Dean Blais. Dean hands the kid a cell phone number and says "call Zach yourself and find out." I think Zach has no regrets about becoming a Fighting Sioux and I'm sure he'll do his best to encourage other kids to go there. And THAT, my friends, is a positive. UND has won 7 national titles without Zach Parise. In fact, the 1997 title was one without a real bona-fide superstar. It can be done and it will be done again without Zach. It just would have been nice to see the Sioux win one WITH Zach, but that's not going to happen, so it's time to set course for new waters.

I realize that being paid money will make those NHL hits somewhat easier to absorb, but my comment was basically implying that the NHL of today isn't the run-and-gun Edmonton Oilers of the 1980's. Do you seriously think the punishment being dished out played a major role in him deciding to turn pro. Sorry, but I can't see him on the ice after Vanek's cheap shot thinking to himself "just one more week and I'm done with this." In the end, it's hard to turn down money, and if ZP gets his name etched on the Stanley Cup this June, he won't even remember losing to DU in the Western Regional of the NCAA's. It's about opportunity, not being a victim of cheap shots one-too-many times.

PCM, I totally agree. I often hear announcers talk about the "Shattuck Pipeline" from Faribault to Grand Forks. He may have not been Minnesota's Mr Hockey, but there's no question that Goldy didn't get the primo recruit in their own state two years ago. There's a reason Zach picked Grand Forks over Minnesota and hopefully his legacy to the Sioux in the future is other kids picking the Sioux over good old Minny. I'm disappointed in this decision, but it's not the first time...Jason Herter, Travis Roche, Ed Belfour...the list of Sioux defections to the pros is a lot longer, but those are three names that pop right up at me. Good luck Zach. We were honored to have watched you for two years and you'll always be a Fighting Sioux. The program existed before you arrived and it will survive with you being gone. Now, let's re-load the pistol and look forward to 2005.

I sure do get a kick out of people pointing out that Zach Parise is leaving school due to the excess clutching, grabbing, holding, spearing, and hooking going on in the neutral zone of WCHA games. HAVE YOU SEEN AN NHL GAME LATELY? It's more of the same there. Ask Mario Lemieux.

Oh puhlease, dagies, your "sympathies" for a team losing? Gimme a break. They didn't lose a relative in a car accident, a team they cheer for lost a hockey game. Am I disappointed the Sioux lost last nite? You bet. Does someone need to send me a condolence card in the mail? Nope. People who act like the sun won't shine tomorrow because the (insert team name here) lost the (insert sporting event here) need to have a reality check. That being said, I was cringing showing up at work tomorrow with all the heckling I was going to take for the Sioux losing Saturday. Now, maybe WPoS, Greyeagle, and a few others and I can at least meet for a beer after work and wonder what might have been together. Misery loves company and it's ironic that UND and Minny are in the same boat today. Long live rivalry! For the first time since 1979, Minny fans had a national title, then they followed it up with another one. Despite the sad ending for them today, they can hold their heads high. Good luck next year everyone. Go Bulldogs! MafiaMan

Interlocking W's? Hmnnnnn...Could it possibly mean "Whitey's Wonderbar"?

Dagies, If they wore jerseys with the old Blackhawk logo on them, trust me, UND paid big bucks to Bill Wirtz to be able to do it. There was an article on the sorry state of the Blackhawks a few weeks ago in Sports Illustrated. The guy's a penny pincher selling off every asset to try to make the team "sellable." Of course, they're down to about 5,000 season ticket holders in that process. They're the Atlanta Hawks of the NHL.

Just a footnote...you'll never see the 1980-1994 throwbacks anytime soon. The new ownership of the Blackhawks denied UND the permission to use the logo, hence the change. Unless UND pays Bill Wirtz a ton of money, you won't see that anytime soon.

I heard whispers of a logo change back in February or March of 1992. At the last Sioux home game, I purchased a green Blackhawk-style jersey with #9 on the back (Greg Johnson). At the time, the Sioux did not have nameplates on the back of the road jerseys. This jersey is one of the all-time favorites in my 20+ jersey collection, but I rarely wear it anymore due to some small holes in it caused by time and washing. It's an awesome jersey, though, and would take a TON of money being offered to me to part with it. I usually wear my Russian jerseys around rinks now just to have something different. My last trip up to GF, I got tons of stares and several "where can I get one of THOSE?" comments on my red CCCP jersey and my Soviet Red Army jersey. I can hook you up with those and others for around $50 if you want one. The 1992 Sioux jersey...sorry...I just can't consider it.

TC, Have you ever been accosted by not one, not two, not three, but four separate fans in any building on one night, had people get right in your face and swear at you, someone grab your jersey as you walk by and yell about your "sucky" team, or run up behind you in a concourse, jab you on the shoulder, and spout off about the "North Dakota Suck"? I've been to hundreds of hockey games in many different venues and the Gopher fans Saturday were far and away the worst I've encountered anywhere. If it was a hundred students yelling "f*** the Gophers," I wouldn't approve of it, but at least they're not jumping out of the woodwork to personally get in your face. Gopher fans used to know when to shut up...now all we hear is "back-to-back" and "three-peat." It's made them cockier than ever. Sorry, but it's my opinion that I should be able to feel comfortable wearing my team's jersey inside a "neutral" ice arena and not worry about having some bozo want me to fight him out on 7th & Kellogg. Call me crazy.

Is anyone arguing that regular season is a guarantee of post-season finish? I haven't heard anyone make that argument. If that's the case, let's stop March Madness and jump straight to the Final Four with Kentucky, Duke, St Josephs, and Stanford. Oh wait...nevermind...two of them are already done. Streaky, I'd agree with you on the goalie issue for both teams. Wait a minute...did a Sioux fan and Gopher fan just find something in common that they agreed upon? Wow. What's next? Peace in Ireland and the Middle East? Dare to dream!

Had to "fight" its way to the post season, streaky? Surely you jest. 2004 Minnesota Hockey...the NEW Miracle on Ice. They're the regular Gonzaga of college hockey, cinderella story, from outta nowhere...

It's a vast conspiracy...The UND Sioux hockey team killed Kennedy, too!

This is so appropriate that I received this e-mail about two minutes ago. Here's a note from a friend of mine that attended the Final Five this past weekend with me...Gopher fan. "Nice draw ND got. Denver who lost to Colorado, Holy Cross Who, and Miami Ohio. Nice bracket." Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! We won the Final Five and still got screwed!

Waaaaaaaaaaaah. Re-read my post earlier about the conduct of Gopher fans directly towards me this past Saturday, TC, and you'll understand why I hate Minnesota so much. I've never yelled "f*** the Gophers" to a fan at a game, nor have I threatened fans or asked someone to "take it outside and we'll settle things." My point was the Gophers should be happy with a #1 seed. PRI aside, how a #5 team in a league gets that is beyond me, but it's what the computer said, so that's how it is. It's just humorous to hear MORE whining now about why UND has an easier bracket. Is it because the people who picked the brackets took into consideration the entire season or because I picked the teams out of a hat myself this past weekend to determine the pairings?

TC, A little sensitive today? I was referring to UMD fans whining about missing players against Minnesota. They had no excuses. Like I said, 2-0 and 3-1...that game was theirs for the taking and they blew it. Why would Minny fans be talking about that game? It truly is amazing, though, how highly Minnesota fans think of their team and no matter what, Goldy gets the short end of the stick. If it's not one thing it's another. I heard rumblings from co-workers Monday about how UND managed to get such an "easy" bracket despite losing the WCHA Final Five playoff. I'm thinking to myself, "HUH?". Regular season champs but playoff loser apparently means UND should have BC, Maine, and Michigan in its region while the playoff champ Gophers should get Holy Cross, Niagara, and the Hill-Murray Pioneers in theirs. Gimme a break! We'll see how it shakes out this weekend and in the final four. Time will tell.

Hmnnnnnnn...I thought it was Harrington. Perhaps I was mistaken. The point is, you're only as good as the team you have on the ice. UND played a key series back in December/January AT St Cloud without two of its big stars who were at the World Jr tournament. I didn't hear them grumbling about taking 3 of 4 points and missing out on that 4th one because players were missing, nor did I hear UMD babble about missing players in their semi-final loss. They had Goldy on the ropes twice, at 2-0 and 3-1, and choked it away. My guess is the 'Dogs are frothing at the bit for a rematch this weekend. And I hope they get it.

TC Transplant...Are you including Harrington as being in the line-up this past Saturday night? I don't know if he can be counted since he spent 30% of the first period sitting in the sin bin.

Did I say the crowd won the game for Minnesota? Sheesh. My point is the noise is a factor. Like it or not, it's a factor. What I didn't say was that several Gopher fans grabbed sticks and helmets and were allowed on the ice for a 7 on 5 power play. There's a difference between the two. You think this discussion is getting old, I think it's silly that a game with your fans there isn't an advantage. When you have two opponents who are even in talent, I'll give the advantage to the home team any day of the week and win 90% of the bets I make on that team. That being said, you're right about UND's defense. Give-aways in your own zone can't be tolerated.

Funny how the Gophers love to rant and rave about that PRI if it helps them, yet by using the theory they have used to rationalize their #1 seed, the PRI is totally shot. According to them, we should take into account who is "hot" at the end of the season. If you know anything about college hockey at all, you know the PRI is based on the entire season, not who's hot at the end. Who's "hot" has no impact at all on the rankings. In fact, it's much like the BCS. There was even a discussion that CC should LOSE to Alaska-Anchorage to keep their PRI spot because a win would de-value the win itself much like Miami (FL) playing a Division I-AA team in NCAA football drops their ranking. The PRI is the silliest thing going in college hockey and yet people seem to base everything on it. Here's the problem with the PRI. It kept out a "hot" Duluth team last year and kept in 0 for their last 6 St Cloud. St Cloud goes to the dance and promptly gets thumped in the first round. Would Duluth have done any better? They defeated St Cloud in the opening round of the playoffs, knocked out UND in the play-in game, lost to CC in a tough game, then defeated Mankato for 3rd place in the WCHA tournament. 4-1 in the WCHA tournament against teams that went to the dance. My guess is YES, Duluth would have stuck around the NCAA tournament for more than one game. However, they never had the chance. If human logic had ruled over computers, no one would have taken St Cloud over Duluth last year. This season, what's the true showing of where the Gophers are at? Home ties against 8th place HE Boston University? Being embarrassed at the hands of Denver? An 0-4 regular season record against Duluth? Or back-to-back home sweeps of a mediocre St Cloud team and winning two playoff games held in front of 16,000 rabid Gopher fans in St Paul? I guess we'll find out who the real Gophers are this weekend.

WPoS, Now you're being a big facetious. No home team has ever won 100% of its home games in any sport, but it's silly to think playing in front of 16,500 of your own fans isn't some sort of advantage. Home advantage in any sport isn't a guarantee of success (just ask the Philadelphia Eagles), but I guarantee you that if given the choice of playing a championship game at home or in the back yard of your biggest rival, 100% of people polled would say "at home."

Fetch, I believe you are talking about the section that I was in with the dad/mom/kid fight. That was a near-disaster in the making. There was another near-fight in the section next to us when four or five drunken Gopher fans wanted to sit with their buddies even though Sioux fans rightfully occupied the seats. The Sioux fans showed their tickets, but that apparently wasn't good enough. The Gopher fans tried shoving their way into the seats. Several jabs were thrown and there was plenty of smack-talk, yet for 3-4 minutes, not a single usher or security officer arrives. Pretty ridiculous. The UMD/UM fight started when a Gopher fan held up a sign that suggested UMD fans sell their tickets to the championship game because they wouldn't need them. A UMD fan took offense when the sign was displayed a second time, then the Gopher fan said something about his daughter's dancing. This totally set the UMD fan off since his daughter was right next to him. Several other fans got into the fracas and the woman behind us (holding a 6 month old baby) got bumped rather harshly. She started exchanging words, some popcorn got thrown around, and eventually, a Gopher fan leaped three rows back to get this UMD fan. This went on for a good five minutes and NOBODY came down from above to stop it. In all the Final Fives I have been too (97 UND/UM game included), I've never seen such sparse (were there ANY security guards/cops???) security presence at such a tense sporting event. That just leads to trouble. Had the first moron been escorted out Friday afternoon and sent home, everyone would have settled down. Instead, it just escalated all the way to after the game where I should have removed my Sioux jersey completely so as not to be harangued by any "grateful winner" walking by me. And I've already pointed out the loudmouth Sioux fan who was jawing with the guys in the row in front of him on Friday. He thought he was funny and tried talking to me since I had a green jersey on. I told him to shut his yapper and that just because we cheered for the same team didn't mean that I wanted to socialize with him. He got the point because he was pretty quiet on Saturday.

I'm sorry, I guess I didn't realize I said that the reason the Sioux lost on Saturday was specifically due to Scott Hennen not doing the PA. All I pointed out was that I asked him why he wasn't doing the title game and he said it was all decided without him having anything to do with it. My point is I am sick and tired of hearing about the "neutral-ice" site known as the Xcel Energy Center. I live in Bloomington and I love going to games there, so I'm not blasting it from that stand-point, but for Goldy fans to say "there were a lot of Sioux fans there too" just doesn't hold any water. It's a home game for the Gophers, period. I just find it humorous the number of benefits Minny gets...the 2 minute shoulda-been-5 penalty on Vanek's cheap-shot on Parise, Briggs getting MVP of the tournament with a .89 save percentage on the weekend, blah blah blah. The bottom line was it was an awesome game and let's see what happens here on out. I'd love to watch a UMD/UM match-up. Minny better not overlook the 'Dogs on truly neutral ice.