NorthDakotaHockey

YaneA. I would be the "Phone-a-Friend" on the country music questions. I've got a couple of Final Five and Frozen Four photos that will be coming your way, once I figure out some of this technology b.s. No "Phone-A-Friend" on that front.

Which? Ralph was a God-fearing man and lived his life with passion, compassion, and love for his fellow man. As such, he will soon be in, if he is not already in, Heaven. This I know, for the Bible tells me so. If you are asking me how I know about your Purgatory sentence, or the sentences of anyone else, it is pretty well known that everyone is in for at least ten or twenty. Standard deal. Gopher fans are automatically doubled for spending extra time surfing the darker side of life, and sport. Of course, ten or twenty thousand years is but a blip of dust on the scale of Eternity. I agree with RW77. Let's let Ralphie RIP.

I agree with other posters who say that this tired story on Ralph and the Nazis should be given a rest. Here are some cold hard facts, in addition to those posted by PCM, who never reports a fact unless he knows it to be true. 1. Engelstad had his warts, as do we all. 2. Engelstad has done more for people in North Dakota, and Las Vegas, than most of us will ever know. Just ask those less fortunate than most of us. He was a Champion of the little guy, because he was once a little guy himself. Many will never know the largesse he has shown others in near all walks of life. 3. Ralph once owned a mamouth car collection. It was, rumor says, near the best thing that the Imperial Trailer Park had to offer. 4. That car collection once included the largest collection of Nazi staff cars and motorized craft than the world have seen since WWII. 5. To kick off the initial showing of those vehicles, Ralph had his infamous costume party. It was one party, not several. 6. Ralph is not, and never has been, a Nazi. A hard-nosed son-of-a-gun, so it is said, at times, but never a Nazi. 7. Ralph's mid-70's party planners were idiots. In fairness to them, that was a different day and age, back when it was still ok to call a Polack a Polack. 8. Many admirerers of The Ralph, and of Ralph, will forever have penile envy. They will do or say anything without having nary a clue on the facts. Many, but not all, are whiney Gopher fans. The fact is, if Sidney Hartman and his collection of tight-fisted pals in the Twin Cities were even remotely capable of putting their money where it might count, the Gophers would have built themselves a new football stadium years ago, and probably would not have had to hold their hand out to pay for The John as well. All without having their snout in the public trough. 9. Ralph is in Heaven, or at least near the end of his Purgatory sentence. Seeing how most of us are probably in for ten or twenty thousand years, he is doing pretty well for himself . . . . still. There can be no reasonable argument on this. After all, he was a follower of the One True. 10. Get over this "Ralph was a Nazi" b.s. He was no more a Nazi than most everyone on this Board, who are all pretty decent men and women. Gopher fans included. Those who continue to claim so will have some hard questions to answer at Saint Peter's Gate, if'n they see it at all. Drop the f$%k. Rats. I mean puck.

ESPN?? What's that?? The semis, I believe, are Detroit vs. Chicago, and Montreal v. Boston. Last I read in the paper. Bobby Orr is gonna have a field day . . . .

Said it before and I'll say it again. Greene is a Force. Always has been, always will be. There were countless people on this board crying to high heaven about his boneheaded and inconsistent play last November, December, January, and even February. Only a handful of us stuck with him, and the rest of the team, during that somewhat lean stretch. Nice to see that everyone wants him back now. Careful of that for which you wish. No griping about penalties next year. They are bound to happen. It's just a matter of fact. The Force, of course, will be back, so says The Source.

Well said, jk. Well said. The beauty, and the agony, of sport is that the best team does not always win. The Sioux took it to everyone who stepped on the ice with them from mid-February on. Championship game included. It was a great great run, and you do a nice job of pointing out that out to Five Holer.

Gee, but how many of those games did the Goofies think "really counted" for anything? The Goofs probably won a handful of those. Go home Duey. Make sure that you look both ways before crossing the street.

A little birdie told me that the list has been narrowed to three, with the front runner being a solid candidate out of Tacoma who has been running the TacomaDome. The Ralph needs to stop catering to b.s. concerts and other activities, some, if not all, of which are losing money. They should also put up some lights in the parking lot to guard against any needless and unauthorized hanky panky!!

Iowa State has a right solid D-1 club team. These D-1 club teams travel, some get 3-4K fans a game, and they have a national tournament. They are, in many respects so I am told, financially self-sufficient. Of course, I do not know the reasons why club teams do not become sanctioned teams. Perhaps it does indeed have something to do with that monster, Title IX. That could all be cleared up by offering 80 scholarships for women's football. If there weren't enough women to field a team, so be it. At least they were given an equal opportunity to do so.

As well you should have with the way that Maine was playing, and the Gophers were not. As it is, I am glad that the Gophers somehow ragged out those two Regional wins, as it made our trip to Columbus so much sweeter. I was dreading the possibility of having to sit through a Gophers-Denver Championship. But that dread all went away about two minutes after the puck dropped in the second semi-final game. Although the Sioux did not score in that first two minutes of play, it was clear to me, glass-side, that the Sioux were playing with fire, and that the Sioux had doused whatever fire the Gophers were able to muster. Fabian's first goal on April 7th made sure of that. Another great goal in a fine season.

Friday, January 14, 2005. The World Arena. Sioux were in Colorado Springs to play the top-ranked and league leading Tigers. Our favorite goal of the year, among many great goals and efforts, came off of Rory McMahon's stick, with assists from a slick-passing Spirko and a hard-working Bina. 15:41 of the second period. It was the only goal that the Sioux would score that entire weekend in what were two tough tough losses. We traveled 2000+ miles to see one goal . . . and for the privilege to see the 2004-2005 Sioux team to realize that they were indeed a team, and would become a special one at that. It was a watershed goal in what was a watershed weekend. The Sioux realized then what we all knew all along . . . . That their D-men were rock rock solid, that their goaltending was rock rock solid, and that they could, and would, dominate any team in the country, bar none. Even on foreign ice, and a big sheet of ice at that. Yes, we all knew then what the players and staff knew then. We all knew that once the goals started coming, the Sioux would be a force with which to be reckoned, and that they would soon be on the bus . . . The Bus, to Columbus. McMahon's goal at CC. The ebb before the tide. A great great goal.

Welcome Aboard Source . . . . thanks for the read. I am really psyched, and firmly believe that Greene will return to anchor the D. When he does, I am gonna have little patience for people crying about his play and his penalties. Won't hear it. Hey Source, you still saying Tettrezinni, or however you spell his name, will be the last man standing when the smoke puffs white from the Vatican? Can I book it?

Having never had to eat crow myself, I have always wondered something . . . . From where does the expression "eating crow" come? When people "crow," or "bark" over things, and then have to eat, or swallow, their words? Historical underpinnings? A cultural thing? I really don't know. 'Tis a great expression. I'd just like to know where, and how, it originated.

The article by DJ Powers says that Smaby played in all 44 games for the Sioux this year. This is not true. Smaby was in street clothes for one of the games in Colorado Springs. It is amazing how fast and loose some of these so-called hockey writers play with the facts. They should take a lesson in sound journalism, and solid fact checking, from our resident scribe, PCM. Of course, PCM has The Source to approach, always on bended knee, when he needs a line on solid, reliable, information.

Zach? Who is Zach? Zach is but one of the men "behind the curtain," just one of many of The Source's guys, or handlers. Working the controls, making the arrangements, booking the flights to Rome, passing on the info. Info from . . . .The Source. The Source is the source of course of course. The Source says that The Force is gone, but that Smaby will stay, as well he should. Smaby is a fine fine defenseman, but he still needs alot of work on how to best postion himself. He can get that work in the WCHA just as well, if not better, than he can anywhere else.

Great pics PCM. Great shots. I had two young fans who wanted me to drive 700 miles, round trip, one last time but alas, the tank is dry and the wallet is empty, but our Sioux Spirits remain high.

Geez. I was standing right there with you talking to "The Source" who, it should be said for the record, had about a quart full of vodka in him at the time. I was certain that The Source said that Greene would in fact be back in a Sioux uni next season, as that is what his handlers all feel is best. It would be really great to see Greene back. If he is, it would be really really nice if some folks would stop their incessant whining about the penalties that he sometimes takes. Greene is a Force. Forces sometimes are penalized for being a Force. It is part of being a Force.

Say what you will about Gwozdecky -- and I could say alot about the many things that I do not like about him -- but it is hard to argue with success. He repeated under much much tougher circumstances and conditions than did Lucia a few years back, and he appears to have a team loaded for a run at a three-peat. Gwozdicky over The Don? Any day. The GwozDick over The Hak? Never. The leather gloves on George looked might silly at the practice skates. Then again, George was pretty much hands off in the practice, and let his assistants run the drills. The leather gloves were just to keep his hands warm. As for his pink tie in the Championship Game, it did not match his shirt. Then again, I would wager that there are few among us here who are sprightly dressers. Gwozdicky reported on the Columbus television news that his wife dresses him. Ugly as hell, his tie that is. But again, who is to argue with success. I'll take Hak in a foxhole any day, and I'll take Hak behind the bench anyday. Glad to see that all of the mid-season hunters for Hak's head now appear to be firmly on board. Where you should have always been. Hak for the Penrose!!

Here are our three cents . . . . Hirsch is a joke. A complete waste of talent, largely because of a rotten attitude, developed by, perhaps, Lucia's errant leanings. Thank God Lucia is not a field general in fields where leadership really counts. Thank God Hirsch is not on a squad where teamwork makes all the difference. Thank God that they are both tied to each other in the sometimes stupid game of hockey, where their childish ways can really hurt no one other than themselves. If I were still a betting man, and I thank God every day that I am not, I would wager a handsome sum that Thursday's game will be Hirsch's last game in a Gopher uniform, and perhaps his last game ever in organized hockey. Unless you count the Wednesday Church Leagues that skate at midnight. We are off in the am. Hirsch is but a wart on a pig's arse. Sioux are gonna drill the Gophers on Thursday, and then they are going to drill whoever is left on Saturday night. SK828.

I really thought that Jake would be driving the Bus, to Columbus. Better not let one of those student leaders at the wheel. Just look at the job they're doing behind the wheel of Big Campus Guv'mint. Hope y'all get a bus together to Columbus. Jake'll be there. He's one of the pieces of the heart and soul.