redwing77

Here's a few reasons why I believe haters hate. Now, I'm not going to distinguish between haters of the Sioux who call themselves Sioux fans and haters of the Sioux who are fans of other teams or schools. 1. Their "guy" wasn't hired, given more playing time, etc. 2. The guy they dislike on the team hasn't been benched/kicked off the team 3. UND lost 4. They need something to whine about that takes their thought processes away from their own sports teams' failures or whatever it is that's causing them problems in the real world. 5. They see an opening and feel the need to spew hate just is too good to pass up. 6. They need to feel good about themselves as a whole and this brings a cheap thrill. 7. Someone wearing UND apparel was mean to them or to someone within visual and/or aural range while at a sporting event. This gets magnified 1000 fold if the victim happens to be under 14 years of age. 8. Modification of #2 above: They just don't like the guy (see Brian Lee or Joe Finley) 9. Personal problems of someone associated with UND makes them think that everyone from UND should be bashed for allowing them even into Grand Forks City Limits. 10. A bad decision by someone who used to go to UND means that, no matter what he or she does towards UND, it automatically makes them evil... even if the bad decision was only heresay or the follow up allegations investigated by a Federal agency finds nothing to support said allegations. 11. Just for poops and laughter. 12. They like to see other anonymous message board people get all bent out of shape. 13. Hating is easier than finding reasons to like. 14. The media does play a role and hate is the only thing that builds ratings even comparable to sex.

These types of early departures, to me, are the height of idiocy on the part of the player. Bolting early for an NHL contract is one thing... but for an ATO for a minor pro squad? REALLY? That's dumb! Hayes could get the same deal if he waited one more year and finished out his collegiate career! Heck, his senior year might have been good enough to garner a deal with an NHL club! I hope Hayes makes the Ice Hogs. If he doesn't, he just blew it big time.

If I win it will surely be one of the signs of the apocalypse.

Yes, Chaka, there is. The heck with luapsided.... I'm in the top 5 in both sets! But I'm usually WRONG! luapsided may win the prize (and he deserves, jimminy crickets what a good job, luap!), but I predict (with a pretty good certainty factor) that I'll NEVER get this close to 1st place again!

Holy COW it's Federov!

Many people questioned this. I think it is rather unfortunate. He was dynamic in juniors. As for the list... who is Scott Freeman? Helfrich? Oh nevermind. They both went to the ECACHL. Guess that's why I never heard of them. Cory Tropp made a name for himself.... in a rather negative manner.

First off, I first heard the anti Matt Cooke talk while he was a Canuck. I don't know if that was why Vancouver let him go but I don't know. Secondly, you're wrong. Every team has a tough guy and a hitter. But very few teams have cheap shot artists. Third, Matt Cooke isn't targetted at all. Look at Sean Avery. The League was on his backside for a while but he may still talk crap and be a scumbag, but he has stopped making illegal plays. So, the disgust to Avery is only by those who know what Avery is about and how he operates. Cooke doesn't let the fires simmer down before he headhunts again! Remember, the NHL was only mildly talking about headshots last season before Cooke took Savard out. You don't get targetted unless you put yourself in position to be targeted. You can change and Cooke is capable of changing, but he's going to have to prove it on the ice before anyone will believe him. ------------------------------------- NDSUstudent- I believe you are looking for the amazing save by the LA Kings (and former UMass-Lowell) goaltender Jonathon Quick. You can find it here.

I just confirmed today that I allowed myself to get hosed again. I now have to buy a round of golf with Goon. Hey Goon: Live it up. This bracket challenge is the last time I bet on any sort of sports prediction for the rest of my days. Good grief. In gambling, there's no such thing as a sure thing... except that I'll inevitably predict incorrectly.

If he didn't raise his elbow, Cooke would have missed McDonaugh entirely. Cooke doesn't go out on the ice to miss people. Just like with the Savard hit he said "I was just going out there to make my presence known." Well, McDonaugh knows he was there now. It's just as imbecilic to suggest that Tyutin should have known he was coming or protected himself better. He was too busy playing the puck to understand that he was going to get run FROM BEHIND. In any case, I am envious of Matt Cooke. Tyutin was at an obvious disadvantage compared to Cooke.. I mean, Cooke wouldn't say such things if he didn't have eyes in the back of his head. What an advantage. Cooke got that 14-17 game suspension because he earned it. The McDonaugh hit was simply the latest example of a recurring theme. These aren't isolated incidents. He's been in trouble for these types of hits before this season. Repeat offenders aren't witch-hunted as you suggest. They are made example of. And 20+ games in my post was meant to represent what SHOULD happen, not what ACTUALLY happened. Then again, if I got my way, Cooke would be done until next season. The biggest problem is that it takes until NOW, with the track record Cooke has, for him to realize that his playing style needs to change. Why now? Wouldn't that be something you'd say after the second infraction? It took him 5 to get to this point! If this is the case, is there any cause to actually believe he'll stop being dirty? Oh, I know it's possible. Bertuzzi hasn't made an illegal hit since he was allowed back. I'm sure he probably believes that if he played the way Cooke did, he'd be banned permanently. You can be big, physical, and your presence known without being cheap and dirty. Cooke hasn't figured it out and he probably never will since he's so seemingly slow on the uptake. How many people has to sit him down to talk about it? And that's another thing... after these repeated "sit downs" by Bylsma or Shero or whomever on the Pens... are they really getting to Cooke? Do they even meant what they are saying? I'm questioning Lemieux already with this BS about Crosby's hit being the key to why the NHL's player safety protocols are questionable while allowing the team he owns to set examples that makes his point for him. Is he truly acting in the best interest of the league? Perhaps not since he hasn't said a word since Cooke's suspension. I guess the respect garnered from an incredible career gets him such a benefit.

So you're saying that OSU has a shot?

You forgot that ESPN.com at least named the second star... Chris Porter! He must have done something special because he got the honor despite not getting a point!

I agree. If Concordia and/or MSU Moorhead want to go DI, then convince DU, CC, BSU, UMD, UND, Miami, and Notre Dame to form their own conference. Perhaps bring in UNO or SCSU to make 8 teams. Then let McLeod play with the rest.

Football or hockey? Doubtful on football. They make too much money even when they suck to join the Big10. I'm rather curious if Notre Dame will do what UAH is doing and just go independent? Harder to get to the NCAA but as an indie they control their destiny much better....

What about SS.com Poster Awards? Most Valuable Poster? Least Valuable Poster? Biggest Troll? Unsung Poster? Comeback Poster of the Year? Moderator of the Year? Rookie Poster of the Year? As a side bet: How long until this thread turns into a flamefest and is closed (predict in number of posts)?

Why a one way deal? Could he have gotten 3 year entry level deal somewhere else?

Davidson reminds me of Lee Marvin or perhaps Scott Foyt. Didn't get tons of ice time but when he did, he used it to the best of his abilities. And you can't argue with his size. I wish Nelson used his size as well as Davidson does.

I agree 100%. That's the biggest disadvantage WCHA teams have in that they are used to the crap WCHA refs throw at them. IMO, bad refs exist outside of the WCHA but they tend to hold closer to the NCAA rulebook than WCHA refs do. UMD needs to be VERY careful. I feel that Union and Yale have faced officiating similar to that of the HEA and CCHA this season whereas UMD did and got bombed by it.

I don't need to see Cooke get his clock cleaned. I already did. Evander Kane did it, remember? What I'd like to see is excessive suspensions. I think excessiveness is the only way to reach morons like Cooke. 2 games is a pittance. Much like $10,000 fines are to NFL football stars making 15 to 20 times that. If you give out of this world bans for repeat offenders of this rule, then EVERYONE will come down on it. It won't be a situation where the player stands in front of the team and apologizes and the GM and coach say "Bad boy!" it will be the players revolting on the player and the GM saying "This team cannot afford to keep paying you anything more than league minimum for the type of play you put on the ice if we can keep you around at all." Heh... if Cooke faced the real threat of being actually banned from the NHL for an unbelievably long period of time (20+ games) and then face the real realization that the team he plays for won't tolerate it either and put the black mark of death on his career (see Barry Bonds forced retirement), he'll change real fast or just up and quit. THAT is TV worth watching. Nobody gets hurt and everybody gets what they deserve...whether it be a reformed Cooke (much like Bertuzzi reformed after being reinstated) or an NHL free of players like Cooke. I'd take either case.

I think Union is better than Yale and, to top it off, I think if Union doesn't beat UMD, then UMD will beat Yale. PUt it in the bank.

I'd put Bruno in that category more than Cichy. Cichy has at least played. Bruno hasn't much at all.

I think there is more solidarity behind McLeod than you think. The guy has a future in politics because he has the incredible ability to smooth things over and has impeccable timing in all things PR. It's a crying shame, though. Every year the officials show no progress towards improving. They actually get slower compared to the game. Their quality control is not there and yet they always wonder why people are so anti officials? The Old Boy network has dug its heels in big time in Denver at the WCHA front office. Of course, my opinion has always been turnover the whole office top to bottom and start fresh. That's not going to happen. Oh well.

How do scholarships enter into financials of running a program? In other words, does it cost as much to run WMU's hockey program as it does a comparable ECACHL school's hockey program? Reason why I ask is: If it costs less to drop scholarships, then why not make the CCHA nonscholarship like the ECACHL? The WCHA loses 2 teams. The CCHA loses more. The CCHA takes UAH. I could see Miami and Notre Dame coming to the WCHA or staying in the CCHA. They'd certainly be the big dogs in the CCHA if they stayed. Also, it could help solidify the CCHA's future if they did stay. WMU this year showed they can be competitive. UAF has shown they have been too. LSSU and NMU have had at least one successful year in their history (not that that means anything but still...tradition is tradition). Even without Michigan, MSU, tOSU, etc. the CCHA is still a stronger conference than the AHA.

They interviewed the wrong man. If they had interviewed Mario Lemieux the media would have gotten a diatribe saying that, though the hit looked rough, "McDonaugh should have watched where he was going and, by the way, when is Steckel and Hedman going to be banned indefinitely for touching my beloved Crosby? My team is perfect and really, the rest of the league needs to just recognize and stop penalizing my wonderful players."

Are you saying that I'm buying the next round of golf? You know as well as the rest of SS.com I'm terrible at predictions! But ok. I'll buy. You're on.

Jaden Schmaltz -- USHL Defenseman of the Week