MafiaMan

OK, forgive me for not completely fawning over Zach Parise like some of the people on the board. Here's his legacy at UND: 0 NCAA titles 0 WCHA Final Five Playoff Titles 1 WCHA Regular Season Title 1-2 post-season record Hardly the stuff of "legends." If you want to make a case for him being a fabulous player, that's fine. I completely agree. It was a pleasure to watch Zach handle the burden of being THE #1 guy night in and night out, the media pressure, the fan expectations, etc. But to compare him with Jeff Panzer, Aaron Schweitzer, Karl Goehring, Troy Murray, Tony Hrkac, Matt Henderson, Ed Belfour, and plenty of others who stepped it up and took their team to a different level (that being an NCAA title) is a different story. I'm sorry to say, folks, but Zach's legacy as a Sioux will be as player with exceptional talent and skill who made the players around him better. However, to call him the greatest Sioux player ever? Sorry, I don't buy it. Tony Hrkac may not have been a "great" NHL player, but there's NO QUESTION that he is the greatest Sioux player of all-time. Think of all the athletes over the years and what separates the "good" or even "really good" from the "great." It's taking your team to the top. I wish Zach the best and I think he will be a phenomenal pro player, but in my mind, when I think of his Sioux career, it will always be the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 seasons and "what might have been..." Michael Jordan was never "great" until the Bulls won an NBA title. Charles Barkley is STILL not considered an elite player because he never won the title. Steve Yzerman was beloved by the Red Wings, but now he's seen as the ultimate captain for his three Stanley Cups. Had Zach Parise stayed another year and left school 5 minutes after winning NCAA title #8 next season, I would have smiled and said "thank you" and appreciated what he had done. His promise and expectations as a player would have led to the ultimate prize as a college hockey player...the NCAA title. And THAT would have been a fitting end to the Zach Parise Sioux legacy, not this. I can't say I blame him...an NHL contract, signing bonus, etc. And if his name gets etched on the Stanley Cup in June, I'm sure he'll have no regrets. I do wish him the best, but it's a disappointing day for the Sioux.

I have a Red Wings one in my living room but a Sioux one would be awesome. No geometric stuff...I'd gladly pay too much for a new-logo one!

NDFlyer, Didn't Moore "honor" the NHL code by fighting in the first period of that game recently? Yes, Bertuzzi's hit was goon-ish and doesn't really qualify as "fighting." I was trying to point out that fighting serves its purpose, but there are places where it's totally out of line. Since the overall plan of hockey is to increase fan base, you can either do it two ways: Turn it into "Slapshot" and encourage the typical redneck who loves WWE, mud-wrestling, and shinin' rabbits to come to see fights at the hockey arena... or reduce fighting, impose harsh penalties for being a thug (the year suspension for Bertuzzi is a good start), and make the casual fan interested in the finer points of the game...the skating, the passing, the scoring, and the goal-tending. Now tell me how baseball, football, and the NBA can be successful by changing their marketing strategies all the time, yet you ask the casual sports fan about hockey and their response is "isn't that the sport where they fight all the time?". Do the math, folks. Hockey's a niche sport about to be overtaken in the US by soccer. SOCCER!

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.