redwing77

Well, swing by Section 123, Row 17, Seat 16 sometime! I'd love to sit near or next to some Sioux fans... though I doubt it. Tonight should be about the same, maybe a bit less. Huskers have a huge game tonight against A&M.

Looking back to last night, there was just a 2 minute stretch where UNO coasted and it cost them the game. I HIGHLY doubt UNO will coast like that tonight. UNO is a massively underrated team that is impressively talented. In other words, they're a great team no one knows about (except for their coaching). Very typical Blais team. Fast and skilled up front, big and strong on D. Sustr is 6'8" tall. He's a monster... And the UND faithful would hate him because he's a positional defender. He doesn't go for the big hit. And Frattin gives UNO fits right now. I just hope tonight we can come out fundamentally sound. Last night we couldn't pass for half the game if our lives depended on it.

Uh.... The NFC Central isn't the weakest conference, but they're quite close. I've now watched every team in the NFC North play this season and I can truthfully say this: There's no one in the NFC North as it stands right now, that will push for the Super Bowl. There's a 75% chance that whoever wins the North will be a first round exit. Minnesota is on the decline. Chicago is hovering on the brink with an abysmal O-line and an aging defense, Green Bay could be tough IF they could have stayed healthy (which means they have no depth), Detroit is still Detroit but not for long... this is a team on the rise.... Under Childress and led by TSuck, the Minnesota Vikings next year will be at the bottom of the league. Green Bay will be at the top. Chicago is a paper tiger and Detroit is on the rise. It could very well, next season (looking at the teams right now) be Green Bay, Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota from top to bottom. Who knows. As for this year, who cares. GB wins tomorrow and Minnesota can pack it in.

The Cowbells were lame and ineffective. One kid who was all excited about her cowbell sat down behind me and, when Dad finally let her have it... she shook it three times, dropped it onto the floor (it slid down a row under my friend's chair) and said "It's lame, Daddy. It doesn't even sound like a cowbell!" Of course, later in the game, I'd start talking to this family and learn to my pleasure that they are quite quality people. Some great people there last night. A lot of fun!

There has been a trend building in that direction. So far, UND has gotten screwed one night and then benefitted from crappy officiating the next. I'd expect Campion to blow goats tonight but this time it would work in UNO's favor. That being said, from my seats in Section 123 last night, we were much better short handed and 4 on 4 than we were 5 on 4 or even 5 on 5 for most of the game.

Vick's come clean and has kept his nose out of trouble. His posse and former associates haven't but the league cannot tell Vick who he can and can't hang out with. As for the legal obligations, he's abided by them and has also been very up front about it. How would Vick look in Purple? Depends. If Childress is still the head coach, he'd look terrible. I'm still confused by McNabb was resigned by Washington even if the buyout option only costs the Redskins $3.3 million or so. I wouldn't want to play in Washington. However, they do have the excuse the Cowgirls don't: They don't have the talent and drooling NFL analysts and they don't have Jerry Jones... wait, that's a positive. Anyways, Firing Childress is a must, but I don't think Wilf will do it until after the season, if he does at all. Why? Because of his business practices. I think Siefert was the one who penned an article on ESPN.com about how Wilf handles disputes and problems with the family business and how he's more than likely doing the same with Childress. What does this say to me? Nothing.... YET. IF Childress starts the 2011-12 season as the Head Coach of the Vikings, then it will tell me that the Vikings are no better than the Ford-Millen led Lions. As for T-Suck, get rid of Chilly and you get rid of T-Suck. As of right now, he's a middle of the road/kinda ok UFL QB. He'll never develop into an NFL QB. I think the Vikings should go after any big name QB they can get... even if it is by trade. Here's an option: Trade McKinnie and a draft pick for a QB like Kolb or whoever. Then draft an OT with your first round pick, a WR with your second, a QB with the 3rd and secondary for the rest.

Definitely will be Dell on Friday. I agree. I'd like to see Eidsness on Saturday barring Dell pitches a shutout on Friday.

And their goaltending situation is a mess. No wonder why Dallas walked away from Turco. He went from pretty good to pretty darned mediocre.

Really? Put Rocco's mobility and skill set in a 6'0 tall frame and we could be talking top 10 draft pick. My opinion anyways.

Nope. You just have to cross the river. Counciltucky, Iowa.

I live in Omaha. I'll be there. I'm also going to The UNO Hockey Coach's Show on Tuesday.

I think it will come down to attitude. UNO is much better than thought. Some of it is Blais, but not all of it. We take this series as seriously as we take the Minnesota, Denver, or Wisconsin series, and I think we'll be fine. If we take this series lightly, they'll put up points.

What I read is that he's not very mature for an 18 year old. I also read that he was one of Halifax's top defensemen. I also read that we don't know a whole lot about what was going on with him while in Halifax. Hakstol rarely, if ever, recruits hot headed primadonnas. Not that he's never done that or wouldn't if the player would work out overall... but I'm curious if there was something going on that was beyond just a player's maturity. Not a whole lot in the way of criticism of MJ teams and all coming from Canadian media. Most of the criticisms come from American media and are immediately dismissed as jealousy.

I agree. The only Top 10 picks out there are the ones picked in the top 10. Remember Michael Forney? He was a Potential First Round pick. He went in the what.. .3rd or 4th round? Everything rides on how he develops.... and luck.

Sorry, but I don't buy this garbage about comparing the criticism of the NCAA vs. the criticism of the NHL by their respective fanbases. They're different. NCAA teams do play to win and wish to be the best in the league, same as the NHL, I agree. However, there are two differences that stand out to me: 1. The NCAA is a developmental league in more ways than the AHL or ECHL (or overseas for that matter). They're job is to make players better. If that means winning it all for their school, great! But their primary mission is to build better athletes and scholars at the same time. 2. The NCAA is an amateur league. The way I see it, if you are paid to play, you are paid to take the criticism, regardless of how harsh it may be. It is a job. The "7th man" as it has been stated, is a supervisor. The team itself is or can be as fluid as the coaching staff and front office allows. If a player "isn't working out" at the NHL level a number of things can happen, from being sent to the minors to being traded or cut outright. The only similarity here is the occasion when a player is asked not to return to the team. Voted off, as Fournier was way back when, as an example. This is a rare occurance. I guess you can call transfers trades but what does the team the player leaves get in return? No, it isn't pee wees, bantams, squirts, what have you. And there are certainly higher expectations than all previous levels no doubt. However, these guys are amateurs still. And, because of this, they deserve SOME slack. -------- And then there's the draft position garbage. Draft position is based upon future potential, not their current talent... unless of course you are drafted in the top 3-5 of the first round. Usually those are expected to be pretty much NHL ready talent. Yes, as first rounders you SHOULD have the POTENTIAL to be a dominant force in the areas the drafting team feels are the players' strengths, but it isn't always manifested the first time you put on the sweater. It sometimes takes 2-3 years for it to become apparent. Draft position shouldn't mean anything in a collegiate context because it says nothing about the player's current talent. It only relates to the value assessed to the prospect by NHL scouts and teams on NHL potential. You can call it a "guide" if you wish, but you'll usually end up disappointed, especially in his freshman season, especially if you aren't a forward. All it took was a few rough outings in the freshman season to get all the fans calling Joe Finley and Brian Lee busts. Pro potential isn't our business here at UND. It tells us only that the NHL is interested in this player and feels that he someday could be playing in the NHL.

I'm predicting a split.

This makes sense to me... and the playing time bit too. It's no joke that Minneapolis is a bigger hockey market than Grand Forks despite hockey being the only act in town (basically). Why? More people live there and there are more venues to showcase the sport (not just UMN). The big city appeal is definitely no joke. My brother got it big time when he moved from Fargo, ND to Evanston, IL to start college. It turned into 8 years in Chicago area. He was then urged to apply for internship and residency at the Mayo Clinic but he refused outright because he didn't want to live in a "town as small as" Rochester, MN. He now lives in Seattle, WA. And tell me: If you were an "elite talent" given the option of going to two "showcase" hockey schools, which of the two would you choose: One in a small town where, on top of it not being a big city like MSP, you have to compete for ice time? Or stay in MSP with a program that may be struggling, but it is still an elite program and get less competition for ice time? This isn't UND vs. LSSU here, folks. And I still maintain (kicking a dead horse) that the problem in Minneapolis isn't Lucia. It's Hill.

Meh. It was too cynical and dumb. Basically what I said is: No way do they sit the AC unless he isn't cutting it in practice or he screws up off the ice. I think it will be Gleason.

First off, tUMD is better than many on this board think. But then again, many on this board don't like being wrong either. That's ok. I'm wrong anyways. Secondly, UNO is better than what people think. I don't think they'll be able to sweep us, but I think they will get points. Third, I don't care what records are. I don't care what our record is. I still think we'll be where we need to be when it really matters. This team knows that. Now is the time to make mistakes. We have time to fix them. Eidsness has had a poor season thus far but I'd rather it be early in the season with him coming on strong late rather than a strong season right now and have him crap out in March/April.

What I said I tried to delete but it wouldn't let me. I said it all wrong so... Ignore this post. Thanks.

Well played.

Agreed. Kolb or Vick would be good in Purple. However, New England has the draft pick the Vikings could have used. I'm a cynic but... who would you rather see coaching the Vikings next year among those rumored to be available?

I'm not a big fan of Moss either but I will say this in defense of him: Without Moss, Culpepper looked more the TJack than the results that got him all those accolades early on in his career. I will say this in defense of Wilf: Half of the veterans that are on the Vikings at this time that weren't drafted by Minnesota I don't see being acquired by Minnesota under McCombs. Wilf seems to be willing to spend money if the player is right. McCombs would have loved to have a roster full of league minimum salaries if he could some way fill the seats. I will say this in defense of Chilly: .... He's managed to fool Wilf into overpaying him by about $10 million over 4 seasons. I can't believe that Childress was more sought after than GB's head coach. I don't think that he's even good enough to get an NFL job as an offensive coordinator after this gig. Charlie Weiss may have been a bust at Notre Dame but his pro O-coord skills aren't diminished... after all. Kansas City is playoff bound at this pace! Holy Flipping COW! Now, Wilf can't get the likes of Bill Cowher if he should do the right thing and fire Childress. However, I think he could go after a few coaches that are currently out of work or are on the hot seat. For example, a few that come to my mind are: Jack Del Rio, Wade Phillips (yeah, I know, but seriously... who is coaching the Cowgirls? Phillips or Jerry Jones? I doubt Phillips has any control over the team), Gruden (though I've heard he's the leading candidate for the Dallas job), Dom Capers, heck... even Cam Cameron. I'd love to see someone like Herm Edwards or Tony Dungy but those aren't likely to return. However, with the new coaching staff will come a few years of hardship. You see... Harvin and Rice are the only WRs I'd really consider keeping. Webb would be a good project QB but that's two QBs gone out of 3. There would need to be some rebuilding. Heck... maybe San Diego will fire Norv Turner and the Vikings could nab him to be the OC. At this point, the only coach the Queens have that I'd consider retaining is Frasier.

Wilf got close to taking one more step towards righting the ship... but alas... it's not to be yet. Chilly still has a job. The Queens disaster rolls on.

hrkac- Yeah. I don't see Risebrough signing any of those guys so I guess that wasn't exactly the best comparison. However, the play of the Hawks lines outside of the first line has been very anemic. Their game play thus far has reminded me very much about the Wild.